BACKGROUND:

Ganglioneuroma is a benign neurogenic tumor of ganglion cell origin. Its incidence during pregnancy is unknown due to the few cases reported. Its diagnosis and treatment are a challenge because it is necessary to consider the mother and the fetus.

OBJECTIVE:

To report the case of a pregnant woman diagnosed with retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma and review the literature on its diagnosis, treatment and prognosis for the mother and fetus.

CLINICAL CASE:

A 32-year-old patient, 16 weeks pregnant, came to the emergency room due to pain in the right hypochondrium. History of cholelithiasis. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging showed a retroperitoneal tumor of unknown nature in the Douglas pouch measuring 107 x 96 x 81 millimeters. Percutaneous biopsy and histopathology analysis reported a tumor of benign neural origin. The pregnancy ended with cesarean section, indicated by mechanical dystocia, with healthy newborn and subsequent surgical treatment of resection by laparotomy. The definitive histopathological diagnosis was: ganglioneuroma.

CONCLUSIONS:

Ganglioneuromas during pregnancy are usually extremely rare because almost all are asymptomatic. They are most commonly a finding. The definitive diagnosis of the tumor is histopathological and the treatment is surgical resection, which can be deferred until after delivery, with a good prognosis for the mother and an adequate outcome for the fetus.

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