Abstract
A 5-year-old boy was admitted with complaint of nonproductive cough and right chest-back pain. A mass with carcification was found in the right, upper posterior mediastinum. Computed tomography and myelography showed that the mass expanded into the epidural space(dumb-bell type), but he had no symptom of spinal-cord compression. Urinary VMA was negative. The tumor was totaly recected by right thoracotomy and right hemi-laminectomy(Th5,Th6). Histological diagnosis was neuroblastoma with rosette formation. He received post-operative combination chemotherapy and irradiation. For 5 months after the operation, he is tumor-free, and has no neurologic abnormality. Most dumb-bell type neuroblastomas are associated with neurologic deficit due to the spinal-cord compression. Following the operation, most of these patients have insufficient recovery of neurologic function. Earlier diagnosis and treatment prior to the onset of neuro-logic abnormalities are the most important factors to improve the functional prognosis of dumb-bell type neuroblastomas.
