Laparoscopic Right Adrenalectomy for a Large Ganglioneuroma in a 12 Year Old

Sohail R. Shah, MD; Gretchen Purcell, MD; Timothy Kane, MD

Product Details
Product ID: ACS-2518
Year Produced: 2006
Length: 9 min.


Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is well established as the standard technique for all indications of adrenalectomy except adrenal carcinoma; however, some also consider large adrenal masses a relative contraindication. We present a video of a laparoscopic excision of a large ganglioneuroma and right adrenalectomy in a 12 year old female. Our patient was noted to have a right suprarenal mass on CT-scan following complaints of back and abdominal pain. Upon surgical consultation she underwent an MRI which showed a 5.9 x 4.4 x 5.6cm heterogeneously enhancing suprarenal lesion that was either arising from or compressing the right adrenal gland. The patient's preoperative workup included normal urinary metanephrines, alpha fetoprotein, and beta-HCG. After discussion with the patient and family, the decision was made to proceed with laparoscopic excision of the mass. The patient underwent successful laparoscopic excision of the suprarenal mass and right adrenalectomy and was discharged from the hospital on the second postoperative day. The pathology revealed an 8.5 x 7.0 x 3.0cm ganglioneuroma and normal adrenal gland. As demonstrated by our video, large adrenal masses can be successfully excised laparoscopically with appropriate surgeon comfort and experience.