Laparoscopic Extirpation of Adrenal Gland Ganglioneuroma Incidentally Diagnosed During Evaluation for Patchy Alopecia Areata in an Adolescent Boy

In 2019, a case study reported a 17-year-old boy who was incidentally found to have a left adrenal ganglioneuroma during an evaluation for patchy alopecia areata. The patient had a vitamin D deficiency, and after undergoing a successful laparoscopic adrenalectomy, with the ganglioneuroma confirmed histologically, he was treated with vitamin D supplements. This treatment initially led to an improvement in his vitamin D levels and a gradual regression of his alopecia areata. However, the alopecia areata recurred 18 months later despite maintained normal serum vitamin D levels and no evidence of tumor recurrence. The study concluded that further research is needed to understand the potential relationship between alopecia areata and ganglioneuroma, as well as the role of vitamin D in the management of alopecia areata.