title: Treatment of neuroblastoma with intraspinal extensions.
abstract: Neuroblastoma is the most common malignant cause of spinal compression in the paediatric population. Chemotherapy is commonly considered as the first-line treatment for these patients. The role of neurosurgical decompression and radiotherapy are still controversial. Thirteen children diagnosed as having neuroblastoma with intraspinal extension were included in this report. All patients presented with neurological deficits and were treated with chemotherapy initially, after which 3 patients recovered, 4 improved and 6 were aggravated into paraplegia. Two of the 6 aggravated patients received emergent laminectomy with removal of intraspinal tumour and recovered satisfactorily. Although spread of tumour into the spinal canal indicates an advanced disease, aggressive treatments such as chemotherapy and surgical resection can often improve neurological symptoms and life quality. Neurological decompression is recommended for patients with intraspinal neuroblastoma and rapid neurological deterioration during chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, ROC, Taichung, Taiwan. yiin_jackson@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Jia Jean
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yiin
authors.forename: Cheng Siu
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yee Jee
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.forename: Yeou Chih
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome