[Malignant neurogenic tumors with retroperitoneal and mediastinal locations in infants]

Malignant neurogenic tumors /MNT/ are the third by frequency malignancies in children with mainly localization in the retroperitoneal space and posterior mediastinum.

of this study is to compare the clinical presentation and the treatment results by young children with retroperitoneal and mediastinal MNT.

For a period of 12 years (1993 -2004) 52 children aged fron 1 month to 3 years were admitted at the Department of Pediatric surgery-University Hospital "N.I.Pirogov", Sofia. The findings of different diagnostic methods are reviewed. Age and sex of the children, the frequency of location, maturity and stage of the tumor, type of operations and survival rate are compared.

The MNT in young children encounter more common in the retroperitoneal space and are diagnosed in advanced clinical stage due to late clinical presentation. Most of them have an unfavorable histological variant and affect predominantly the adrenal glands. The mediastinal MNT are mainly manifested in the first age of life with good prognosis. The total survival up to 2004 year is 59,6 %.