Congenital neuroblastoma

Abstract

A 3-day-old baby girl was noted to have abnormal posture and paucity of movement of the left foot. Examination revealed flaccid weakness of the left lower limb. The rest of the neurological examination was normal. MRI revealed an extramedullary extradural intracanalicular lesion extending from caudal to the 10th thoracic vertebral body to L4 and a paraspinal mass from level of L1 to L4 vertebral bodies which was in continuity with the intracanalicular mass through the right L1/L2 neural foramen. This was diagnosed as congenital dumbbell neuroblastoma. Congenital Spinal Neuroblastoma is a solid tumor of the spinal cord which arises in utero. Neuroblastoma has an incidence of 1 in 7000 live births, ranking it as the commonest neoplasm in fetuses and neonates.