Incidental Gangliocytoma in a Middle-age Adult: a Case Report

Pathology from the resection was consistent with central gangliocytoma. On light microscopy there was mature neuronal cell bodies with minor atypical features on a neurofibrillary background. The lack of a glial component OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: We present an extremely rare case of a middle age man with an asymptomatic central gangliocytoma with calcification that had been found incidentally on his plain skull X-ray. The plain skull X-ray had been performed to investigate an unrelated subcutaneous lesion in his scalp. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A fifty-two year old man had presented complaining of a lump on his left occipital area. On plain skull X-ray he was incidentally found to have a right frontal intracranial calcified mass. The patient was further investigated with computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of his head. He subsequently underwent a right frontal craniotomy and total resection of the mass. The resected lesion was diagnosed as a gangliocytoma based on its histopathological features. DISCUSSION: Asymptomatic gangliocytoma in middle age patients is very rare. Central gangliocytoma is an uncommon tumour. Most gangliocytomas occur in children or adults under the age of 30 years. Most common presentation of gangliocytoma is seizures. CONCLUSION: Gangliocytoma is a very rare cause of intracranial calcification in middle-age patients. Plain X-ray study of skull can occasionally yield troubling incidental findings.