title: Neurologic complications of the primary pediatric extracranial neuroblastomas.
abstract: Between January 1982 and June 1994, 32 children with primary extracranial neuroblastomas (n = 24) and ganglioneuroblastomas (n = 8) were admitted and treated at the UKMC. Twenty-two (68.7%) of these patients suffered with 29 neurological complications (up to 3 complications per case) during the course of their disease. Fourteen cases had nervous system metastases or invasion. Nonmetastatic complications, such as nervous system infections (n = 4) and new onset of seizures secondary to brain metastasis, hypertensive and metabolic encephalopathies (n = 3) were seen on 7 cases. Five cases had treatment related complications, one case first presented with opsoclonus-polymyoclonus syndrome. Eight of these 22 patients died, due to relapse or progression of the disease. The mean follow-up period of 14 surviving patients was 44.9 months (range, 12-110 months). Five of these 14 patients suffered with neurologic sequelae. The incidence of neurologic complications was 68.7%. Nervous system metastasis was the most common neurologic complication. Although 5 patients suffered with neurologic sequelae, outcome was not influenced by presence of neurologic complication.
authors.affiliation: University of Kentucky Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Lexington, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tasdemiroglu
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Patchell
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018305:Ganglioneuroblastoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012888:Skull Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents