How is neuroblastoma diagnosed?

Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
Updated on September 05, 2024
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For patients with neuroblastoma, diagnosis is primarily through the symptoms, signs, detailed physical examinations, medical history inquiries, and most importantly, radiological data, which includes CT scans or MRI of the head. Definitive diagnosis requires surgical removal of the tumor. A small amount of tumor tissue is retained after excision and used for pathological examination to confirm the diagnosis. Neuroblastoma is categorized as an epithelial-like malignant tumor, indicative of a high degree of malignancy. In most cases, early in the disease, the tumor adheres to surrounding tissues, which greatly complicates complete surgical removal, and most patients have a poor prognosis.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Symptoms of neuroblastoma recurrence

For neuroblastoma, when the tumor recurs, the patient's original symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting will reappear, occurring intermittently and worsening persistently. Most patients will experience significant increased intracranial pressure, and even frequent nausea and vomiting. Additionally, some neuroblastoma patients experience severe vertigo, especially when changing body positions, where the vertigo is particularly pronounced. For such patients, when the above symptoms and signs occur, they should go to a local hospital as soon as possible for a reassessment using cranial MRI to monitor changes in their condition.

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How to avoid neuroblastoma

To avoid neuroblastoma, it is recommended to develop good living habits in daily life, including maintaining over 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day to keep physically healthy. Additionally, it is advisable to consume more fruits rich in vitamin C, which contain abundant vitamins that can effectively serve as antioxidants. Keeping good sleep habits, going to bed early and waking up early, avoiding staying up late and long durations of using mobile phones or computers to minimize excessive exposure to electromagnetic radiation. In daily life, one should also learn self-protection, avoid contact with carcinogenic chemicals, and avoid excessive exposure to radioactive pollution. All these measures can effectively prevent the condition.

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Neurosurgery
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Can neuroblastoma be treated?

Neuroblastoma is the most common tumor in childhood, and it is also the most common in infants and toddlers. Typically, neuroblastoma is a type of neuroendocrine tumor, clinically found often in the adrenal glands or in nervous tissues such as the neck, chest, and abdomen. Currently, neuroblastoma can be effectively classified according to its level of risk into low-risk, intermediate-risk, or high-risk groups. For patients in the low-risk group, surgical treatment can achieve satisfactory results; for patients in the intermediate-risk or high-risk groups, treatment often involves a combination of methods, yet still may not achieve satisfactory results.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Early symptoms of neuroblastoma

For neuroblastoma, in the early stages of the disease, mild headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting often occur, but the symptoms are relatively mild and most can be tolerated. As the disease gradually progresses and the tumor volume begins to increase, it compresses the surrounding brain tissue and cranial nerves, causing the patient to exhibit certain degrees of headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and other clinical manifestations. As the tumor volume further increases and cerebral edema becomes apparent with elevated intracranial pressure, it may lead to cranial nerve dysfunction in patients. For instance, it might trigger epileptic seizures or cause patients to experience hemiplegia, aphasia, and other clinical manifestations. Once these symptoms occur, it is advisable to visit a local hospital early for treatment.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Early symptoms of neuroblastoma

For patients with neuroblastoma, the early stages of the disease often manifest as mild headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. The symptoms are relatively mild and can be significantly alleviated by taking oral pain relief medications. Therefore, the condition often does not receive adequate attention, leading to missed diagnoses. As the tumor size increases, the original symptoms such as headaches and dizziness will significantly worsen. Some patients may even experience optic nerve atrophy, papilledema, reduced visual fields, and vision deficits. When such conditions occur, patients often undergo cranial CT or MRI scans to confirm the presence of neuroblastoma.