Cardiac tumours are uncommon in the general population and even more so in the paediatric population. Here we present a case of an asymptomatic 7-year-old male with history of high-risk neuroblastoma who underwent 1-year post-treatment surveillance scan with an incidental finding of intracardiac lesion found to be an atrial myxoma.

Reported is a child with dilated cardiomyopathy, in whom medical therapy resulted in a mild improvement of cardiac function. Metabolic studies suggested the presence of a catecholamine-secreting tumour; and an adrenal neuroblastoma was identified and surgically removed. Following surgery, there was progressive and complete normalization of cardiac function. Although very rare, neurogenic tumours may be involved in the development of a dilated cardiomyopathy in the infant and child.

Neuroblastoma is the most common extra-cranial solid malignancy in children and the most common tumour occurring during infancy. This tumour arises from undifferentiated precursor cells of the sympathetic nervous system. The abdomen (65 per cent) is the most common site for these tumours, followed by the throat (15 per cent), pelvis (5 per cent) and cervical region (5 per cent).

We report a case of primary retropharyngeal neuroblastoma in a three-week-old baby boy presenting with upper airway obstruction

Forty patients were treated or followed up for aesthesioneuroblastoma between 1980 and 1995 at Institut Gustave Roussy, France. There were three T1; seven T2, 15 T3 and 15 T4 lesions. The cervical metastatic rate at presentation was 18 per cent. Distant metastases were detected by bone marrow biopsy and bone scan in three patients at presentation. Treatment modalities included surgery alone in eight patients, radiotherapy alone in three patients, combined modality surgery plus radiotherapy in 11 patients, chemotherapy alone in two patients, chemotherapy plus radiotherapy in 10 patients, and multimodality therapy chemotherapy plus surgery plus radiotherapy in six patients.

The five-year survival rate was 51 per cent. Multimodality treatment offered better survival (63 per cent at five years) and disease-free interval (54 months). Overall local, regional, and distant failure rates were 58 per cent, 15 per cent and 40 per cent respectively. Distant metastases commonly occurred in bone (82 per cent). Cervical metastasis was an unfavourable prognostic indicator (0 per cent survival at two years).

In conclusion, aesthesioneuroblastoma is sensitive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Multimodality therapy should be used initially.

Olfactory neuroblastoma is an uncommon tumour arising in the nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses. We report the management of nine cases treated with external beam radiotherapy subsequent to sureery, either attempted definitive removal or biopsy only. Recent refinements in pathologicalevaluation of these tumours are discussed. Seven cases were deemed classical olfactory neuroblastoma whilst two were classified as neuroendocrine carcinoma. The clinical features, radirap technique and variable natural history are presented. Seven of eight patients treatecall were controlled locally, with a minimumfollow-up of two years. Three patients developedcervica lymph node disease and three patients died of systemic metastatic disease. Suggestios are made as to which patients should have en-bloc resection rather than definitive radiotherapy.

A case is described of a primary neuroblastoma of the facial nerve in a 13-year-old boy presenting with a recurrent facial paralysis. This tumour was excised preserving the nerve and followed with post-operative radiotherapy. The pathology of the tumour is described and facial nerve tumours briefly discussed as a cause of facial palsy. There have been no other cases of a primary neuroblastoma of the facial nerve arising at this site reported in the last 20 years.