Wu GZ, Fang SZ, Yu SA, Yu M. Resection of a ganglioneuroma encasing major blood vessels using three-dimensional laparoscopy combined with organ suspension: A case report. World J Gastrointest Surg 2025; 17(8): 109213 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v17.i8.109213]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Min Yu, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 365 Renmin East Road, Wucheng District, Jinhua 321000, Zhejiang Province, China. greendoctor@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Oncology
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastrointest Surg. Aug 27, 2025; 17(8): 109213 Published online Aug 27, 2025. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v17.i8.109213
Resection of a ganglioneuroma encasing major blood vessels using three-dimensional laparoscopy combined with organ suspension: A case report
Guo-Zhen Wu, Shen-Zhe Fang, Shi-An Yu, Min Yu
Guo-Zhen Wu, Shen-Zhe Fang, Shi-An Yu, Min Yu, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua 321000, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: Wu GZ wrote the manuscript; Fang SZ participated in data collection; Yu SA helped revise the manuscript; Yu M designed the study; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the Zhejiang Medical Science and Technology Project, No. 2022KY1325 and No. 2023KY381; Public Welfare Project of Jinhua Science and Technology Plan, No. 2023-4-084; and Major Project of Jinhua Science and Technology Plan, No. 2023-3-066.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of the case report and accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Min Yu, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 365 Renmin East Road, Wucheng District, Jinhua 321000, Zhejiang Province, China. greendoctor@163.com
Received: May 7, 2025 Revised: May 21, 2025 Accepted: July 9, 2025 Published online: August 27, 2025 Processing time: 114 Days and 22.6 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Ganglioneuroma is a rare, well-differentiated, slow-growing benign tumor of the peripheral nerves, with surgical resection being the only curative treatment. Surgical resection of ganglioneuromas encasing major blood vessels remains a substantial clinical challenge. Traditionally, these cases often require open abdominal surgery or combined organ resections, and in some instances, the tumors are considered unresectable. Currently, no reports have described the resection of such tumors via laparoscopy.
CASE SUMMARY
A 35-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital after the incidental discovery of a retroperitoneal space-occupying lesion. Imaging revealed a mass with the celiac axis and superior mesenteric artery passing through it. A neurogenic tumor was suspected, with ganglioneuroma being the most likely diagnosis. Following comprehensive preoperative preparation, the retroperitoneal tumor was resected using a three-dimensional laparoscopy combined with an organ suspension technique. The surgical approach involved incising the tumor along the vascular axis and conducting meticulous, vascular-preserving tumor excision. The operation lasted approximately 458 minutes, with an estimated blood loss of 50 mL. The patient was discharged on the 8th postoperative day. A transient liver injury occurred after surgery but improved rapidly. After 11 months of postoperative follow-up, no complications or tumor recurrence were observed.
CONCLUSION
This case illustrates the feasibility of minimally invasive laparoscopic resection for retroperitoneal ganglioneuromas encasing major blood vessels.
Core Tip: Ganglioneuroma is a rare, well-differentiated, slow-growing benign tumor, with surgical resection being the only curative treatment. However, resecting ganglioneuromas that encase major blood vessels presents substantial technical challenges. Here, we present the first case of a retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma encasing the celiac axis and superior mesenteric artery, successfully resected with preservation of all vital vessels using three-dimensional laparoscopic surgery combined with organ suspension techniques. This case highlights the feasibility of minimally invasive laparoscopic approaches for managing complex retroperitoneal ganglioneuromas encasing major blood vessels.
