What Are The Symptoms Of Neuroblastoma?
Neuroblastoma is often characterized by numerous symptoms, including:
- A lump in the neck, chest, or abdomen
- Bulging eyes
- Dark circles under the eyes
- Abdominal swelling
- Bone pain
- Weakness in the upper or lower extremities
- Paralysis of, or an inability to move, the upper or lower extremities
- Painless, bluish swellings beneath the skin
Less common symptoms of neuroblastoma, include:
- A fever
- Shortness of breath [1]
- A cough
- Elevated blood pressure [2]
- Abnormal bleeding or bruising, including small, flat, red spots on the skin called petechiae
- Diarrhea [3]
- A rapid heart rate
- Excessive sweating
- Involuntary, irregular movements of your eyes, feet, and legs
- Fatigue [4]
These symptoms don’t always lead to a diagnosis of neuroblastoma, because they may occur due to other conditions.
How Is Neuroblastoma Diagnosed?
The early symptoms of neuroblastoma are not specific, and as a result, the condition tends to have gotten to later stages before it is diagnosed.
To diagnose neuroblastoma, your child’s doctor may use the following tests:
- Blood tests
- Urine tests
- A bone marrow biopsy
- A CT scan
- An MRI scan
- A positron emission tomography scan
- A bone scan
- An ultrasound