What are Presentations of Neuroblastoma?

Discussion Abdominal pain is a very common problem with abdominal masses being somewhat less common. If one considers how frequently patients have abdominal pain due to constipation and that it often presents with a fecal mass, both of these are commonplace. Abdominal and pelvic organs are sometimes mistaken for masses also. As the abdominal and pelvic cavities are large, tumors often need to be quite large before they cause functional problems and/or can be palpated on physical examination. A review of abdominal masses can be found here. A review of recurrent abdominal pain can be found here. A review of acute abdominal pain can be found here. A review of pelvic pain can be found here. Learning Point Neuroblastoma is the most common abdominal tumor in children and the third most common solid tumor. It was first described in 1862 by Rudolf Virchow. It is a tumor of the sympathetic peripheral nerves, with approximately 700 cases/year occurring in the US. Presentation depends on the location, stage, and risk status. “About 37% of patients are diagnosed as infants, and 90% are younger than 5 years at diagnosis, with a median age at diagnosis of 19 months. Increasing age has poorer prognosis.” Presentations include Horner syndrome (arising within the stellate gangion), dyspnea (arising in the chest), and incidental abdominal mass. Its metastases (especially for bone marrow and cortical bone) also can cause presentations including fever, weight loss, limp/refusal to wa...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news