Comparison of computed tomography and ultrasound in the evaluation of abdominal neuroblastoma

A retrospective review of 15 cases of abdominal neuroblastoma was undertaken to determine the efficacy of ultrasound (US) in the evaluation of this disorder. Thirteen of the 15 cases were studied with both US and computed tomography (CT). It was found that US was accurate in all but two cases, where shadowing from bowel gas and dense tumor calcifications prevented accurate delineation of residual tumors. The CT scans were degraded by artifacts from surgical clips in three cases and by patient motion in one. A nonopacified loop of bowel was mistaken for tumor by CT in one case. We conclude that although both CT and US should be done initially, US alone is adequate in most cases for follow-up of abdominal neuroblastoma. When excessive bowel gas is encountered, or dense tumor calcifications are known to be present, CT is the modality of choice.