Treatment Strategies and Outcomes of Pediatric Esthesioneuroblastoma: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: Esthesioneuroblastoma, also known as olfactory neuroblastoma, is a small round blue cell tumor of nasal neuroepithelium first described in 1924. Though this tumor is especially rare in the pediatric population with an incidence of <0.1 per 100,000, it is the most common pediatric nasal cavity neoplasm. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the treatment modalities utilized for pediatric esthesioneuroblastoma and overall survival. Methods: A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Pubmed, EMBASE, and Ovid MEDLINE databases were queried for studies pertinent to treatment modalities for pediatric esthesioneuroblatoma and survival outcomes. Results: Two hundred and seventy-sixth articles were identified, with seven meeting inclusion criteria. Ninety-four patients with an age range of 0.9-21 years old with esthesioneuroblastoma were included. Nearly 90% of patients were of stage Kadish B or C at time of presentation, while 20% presented with cervical lymphadenopathy. Only about 10% of patients underwent single modality therapy. Overall, 5-year survival ranged from 44 to 91% with a median follow-up of 3-13 years. Conclusion: Children with esthesioneuroblastoma usually present at an advanced stage and undergo multi-modality therapy at a higher rate than adult patients. There is a wide range of documented overall survival though this lack of precision could be due to a paucity of patients.

Keywords: endoscopic skull base surgery; esthesioneuroblastoma; head and neck cancer; olfactory neuroblastoma; pediatric neuroendoscopic surgery; pediatric skull base surgery; skull base cancer; skull base tumor.

Figure 1

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram highlighting the literature selection process.