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Management Of Cervicomediastinal Neuroblastoma Presenting With Life-threatening Tracheal Obstruction In Infancy.

Komuro & Hoshino, 2013Neuroblastoma

Komuro, H., & Hoshino, N. (2013). Management of cervicomediastinal neuroblastoma presenting with life-threatening tracheal obstruction in infancy. Journal of pediatric hematology/oncology, 35(8), e323–e325. https://doi.org/10.1097/MPH.0b013e31827b4747

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Abstract

The authors report on 3 infants below 6 months of age at diagnosis, with cervicomediastinal neuroblastoma who presented with life-threatening tracheal obstruction as an oncologic emergency. These neuroblastomas were characterized by favorable biology and chemoresistance. All initially grew rapidly before spontaneously regressing. Nerve injuries occurred in all patients as a result of tumor location. Maintenance of the airway until the expected spontaneous regression was a critical component in the management of these patients.

Case Details

Disease Location

Left cervicomediastinal tumor

Personal Characteristics

1 day old infant with respiratory distress

Clinical Characteristics

Diagnosed at 1 day of age, intubated for respiratory failure. Found to have mets to skin, liver, lymph nodes and bm. Favorable histology on biopsy, increased u vma, hva. Initially not given any chemo but due to massive liver mets, a single low dose radiation treatment (1.5 gy) to the liver effectively suppressed the growth of the liver metastasis. Low-dose radiation to the growing local tumor was applied in 3 fractions of 1.5 gy over 41 to 60 days of age with no further effect. The tumor started to regress spontaneously at 90 days of age and the airway compression disappeared by 100 days. The patient was extubated soon after plication of the left hemidiaphragm at 135 days of age. The urinary excretion of vma and hva normalized at 320 days of age and the patient was doing well with no evidence of tumor recurrence.

Remission Characteristics

Initially not given any chemo but due to massive liver mets, a single low dose radiation treatment (1.5 gy) to the liver effectively suppressed the growth of the liver metastasis. Low-dose radiation to the growing local tumor was applied in 3 fractions of 1.5 gy over 41 to 60 days of age with no further effect. The tumor started to regress spontaneously at 90 days of age and the airway compression disappeared by 100 days. The patient was extubated soon after plication of the left hemidiaphragm at 135 days of age. The urinary excretion of vma and hva normalized at 320 days of age and the patient was doing well with no evidence of tumor recurrence.

Treatment & Mechanisms

Clinical Treatment

Low dose radiation