[Paraneoplastic symptoms of neuroblastoma (author's transl)]

Frequently the first clinical sign of neuroblastoma is not caused by local or metastatic tumor growth but is a paraneoplastic symptom (PNS). Such PNS are fever, diarrhea, hypertension, weakness of muscles, Horner's syndrome and myoclonic encephalopathy. Certain PNS disappear with tumor removal, other do not. The clinical importance of PNS is the prognostic and especially diagnostic value. The pathogenetic relations between tumor and PNS as discussed in the literature are interesting but mostly speculative. Effects of Catecholamines and/or immunologic reactions are thought to be the most probable cause of PNS.--The article is based on current literature; in addition, two short case histories are presented.