%0 Journal Article
%T Solitary colonic polypoid ganglioneuroma
%A Isabel Mendez
%A Teresa Pereda
%A Francisco Rodriguez
%A Rafael Funez
%A Andres Sanchez
%J Diagnostic Pathology
%D 2008
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1746-1596-3-20
%X The hereditary syndromes of the gastrointestinal tract are classified as adenomatous or hamartomatous [1]. As a part of the hamartomatous polyposes, ganglioneuroma (GN) of the gastrointestinal tract are rare tumors composed of ganglion cells, nerve fibers, and supporting cells of the enteric nervous system [1,2]. There are few reports in the literature. We present a case of polypoid GN and melanosis coli. To our knowledge this is the first case reported in literature with this association.A 48-year old woman with arthrosis underwent colonoscopy because of a family history of colon cancer (father and cousin) and an episode of lower intestinal bleeding. The patient was an anthracene-type laxatives ("sacred rind") consumer due to usual constipation. No other symptoms were related. She and her family had no known history of multiple endrocrine neoplasia or neurofibromatosis. The laboratory tests were within the normal limits, including carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Physical examination revealed an anal fissure. No pigmented skin lesions were identified. The colonoscopy revealed a millimetric sessile polyp in the sigmoid colon that was removed with biopsy forceps (Figure 1).The biopsy specimen consisted of three fragments. At low magnification they looked like a hyperplastic polyp. Microscopic examination of the fragments of the polyp showed a collection of nerve ganglion and stromal cells in the lamina propia that elevated the overlying elongated glands in a nodular configuration. No significant disarray of the mucosal architecture was observed. An additional finding of diffuse melanosis coli was noticed (Figure 2). Inmunohistochemical studies were performed. The ganglion cells and the spindle stromal surrounding cells demonstrated inmunoreactivity to protein S-100, and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) marked the ganglion cells (Figure 3).The diagnosis was solitary polypoid ganglioneuroma of the colon.Shekita et al. categorized ganglioneuromas (GN) of the intestinal trac
%U http://www.diagnosticpathology.org/content/3/1/20