Retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma with ectopic inferior vena cava invasion: a case report

Ganglioneuroma (GN) is a rare benign tumor from neural crest tissue, composed of mature Schwann cells, ganglion cells, and nerve fibers. These tumors most often arise in the retroperitoneal region (52%) and posterior mediastinum (39%), while extra-adrenal lesions account for 51% of abdominal GN cases. This paper presents a 66-year-old female with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation found to have a left retroperitoneal mass on imaging. A 9.5-cm tumor was fully resected using robot-assisted laparoscopy. Pathology confirmed GN with ectopic inferior vena cava (IVC) invasion. This case highlights the need to consider retroperitoneal GN in the differential diagnosis of vascular structures. In addition, three-dimensional reconstruction is valuable for surgical planning, and robot-assisted surgery is preferred for complex cases.