Usually, neuroblastoma does not cause any symptoms and is therefore discovered by chance. However, the following symptoms and complaints may indicate neuroblastoma in some cases:
- Fatigue, weakness
- Paleness
- Listlessness
- Prolonged moderate fever
- Sweating
- Lymphadenopathy (lymph node enlargement)
- Distended abdomen
- Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
- Anorexia (loss of appetite), weight loss.
- Nausea (nausea), vomiting.
- Constipation (constipation)
- Diarrhea (diarrhea)
- Abdominal pain (abdominal pain)
- Bone pain
- Urinary retention
- Paresis (signs of paralysis)
- Horner’s syndrome (synonym: Horner’s triad) with unilateral miosis (pupillary constriction), ptosis (drooping upper eyelid), and a pseudoenophthalmos (apparently sunken eyeball) (see below “Most common localizations of neuroblastoma”)
- Hematoma (bruising) around the eyes.
Symptoms can vary greatly depending on the location of the neoplasm. For example, tumor-related hematoma-discolored (bruise-related) swelling of the eyelids can produce the appearance of spectacle or monocular hematoma.
The most common locations of neuroblastoma are:
- Adrenal medulla,
- Border cord; these tumors can make neurological deficits as hourglass tumors and cause Horner’s triad (see above)= if they affect the stellate ganglion
- Unpaired abdominal and pelvic ganglia.
Further notes
- Abdominal infestation is the most common at 70%.