Cervical neonatal neuroblastoma with recurrent SVT

Abstract

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor of childhood and the third most common paediatric malignancy after leukemia and central nervous system (CNS) tumors. It constitutes 10% of all paediatric malignancies and 75% of them present in children below 4 years of age. Seventy five percent of neuroblastoma arise in the abdomen and pelvis, 20% in the thorax and 5% in the neck. The median age at diagnosis is 22 months. Up to 95% of cases are diagnosed by the age of ten years. Neuroblastomas have been diagnosed in utero as early as 19 weeks of gestational age. They can arise anywhere along the sympathetic chain. They occur most commonly in the adrenal medulla (35%). Neuroblastomas also occur as primary tumors in the extra-adrenal retroperitoneum in 30% of cases, in the posterior mediastinum in 20% of cases , in the neck up to 5% of cases and in the pelvis in 5% of cases. Approximately 50% of patients will have metastasis at presentation.