Neurologic complications of the primary pediatric extracranial neuroblastomas

Between January 1982 and June 1994, 32 children with primary extracranial neuroblastomas (n = 24) and ganglioneuroblastomas (n = 8) were admitted and treated at the UKMC. Twenty-two (68.7%) of these patients suffered with 29 neurological complications (up to 3 complications per case) during the course of their disease. Fourteen cases had nervous system metastases or invasion. Nonmetastatic complications, such as nervous system infections (n = 4) and new onset of seizures secondary to brain metastasis, hypertensive and metabolic encephalopathies (n = 3) were seen on 7 cases. Five cases had treatment related complications, one case first presented with opsoclonus-polymyoclonus syndrome. Eight of these 22 patients died, due to relapse or progression of the disease. The mean follow-up period of 14 surviving patients was 44.9 months (range, 12-110 months). Five of these 14 patients suffered with neurologic sequelae. The incidence of neurologic complications was 68.7%. Nervous system metastasis was the most common neurologic complication. Although 5 patients suffered with neurologic sequelae, outcome was not influenced by presence of neurologic complication.