title: Neuroblastoma presenting as acute lymphoblastic leukemia but correctly diagnosed after orbital fine-needle aspiration biopsy.
abstract: A 3 1/2-year-old girl with a diagnosis of common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen (CALLA)-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia was noted to be hypertensive and developed a tonic-clonic seizure. Computed tomography scan of the head revealed a right orbital mass. Orbital fine needle aspiration biopsy demonstrated rosette-like arrangements of cells with fibrillar cytoplasmic processes suggesting neuroblastoma. The tumor cells were antineuron-specific enolase positive. The cytologic findings suggested neuroblastoma, a diagnosis confirmed on subsequent work-up. The difficulty in distinguishing neuroblastoma from acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the pediatric patient is discussed in terms of clinical and cytologic features.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York 10467.
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Slamovits
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Suhrland
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D009918:Orbital Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology