title: Isolated central nervous system recurrence in a child with stage IV neuroblastoma.
abstract: Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children. Survival rates have improved due to advances in treatment with aggressive chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation. Usual sites of recurrence include the site of primary tumor, residual gross disease, bone, bone narrow, liver, and lungs. The authors describe a 16-month-old boy with stage IV extracerebral primary neuroblastoma who died because of an isolated central nervous system (CNS) relapse. The CNS is a rare site of relapse that is, however, increasingly diagnosed due to prolonged survival. Criteria to identify patients at increased risk of CNS relapse are urgently needed. High-risk patients should be followed-up with brain and spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for timely detection of metastases and appropriate management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Oncology, Hippokration General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sidi-Fragandrea
authors.forename: Emmanouil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hatzipantelis
authors.forename: Paraskevi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Panagopoulou
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fragandrea
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anastasiou
authors.forename: Dimitrios E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Koliouskas
mesh_terms: D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000473:pathology; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000473:pathology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012306:Risk