Successful all robotic-assisted excision of highly malignant mediastinal neuroblastoma in a toddler: A case report

An otherwise well 28-month-old girl presented with fever/left thigh pain. Computed tomography identified a 7 cm right posterior mediastinal tumor extending to the paravertebral and intercostal spaces with multiple bone and bone marrow metastases on bone scintigraphy. Thoracoscopic biopsy diagnosed MYCN non-amplified neuroblastoma. Chemotherapy shrank the tumor to 5 cm by 35 months of age. Robotic-assisted resection was chosen because the patient was large enough and public health insurance coverage was available. At surgery, the tumor was well-demarcated by chemotherapy and dissection posteriorly from the ribs/intercostal spaces and medially from the paravertebral space and azygos vein was facilitated by superior visualization/instrument articulation. The capsule of the resected specimen was intact on histopathology, confirming complete tumor resection. Despite minimum distance specifications between arms, trocars, and target sites with robotic assistance, excision was safe without instrument collisions. Robotic assistance should be actively considered for pediatric malignant mediastinal tumor provided the thorax is of adequate size.