OCCULT NEUROBLASTOMA PRESENTING WITH CEREBELLAR SYMPTOMS; RESULTS OF COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

The clinical relationship between occult neuroblastoma and myoclonic encephalopathy (syndrome of “dancing eyes”) (6, 1) or cerebellar ataxia (5 ) has been repeatedly recognised. However, no causal relationship has been revealed (8) and clinically quite similar conditions occur also without any obvious cause (4). Neuroradiological examinations have in general been unrewarding ( 1 , 3). As no results of computed tomography in this condition have been published, we describe a child who had typical history and symptoms of cerebellar tumour, but no abnormality in the posterior fossa in computed tomography. The symptoms subsided after an occult neuroblastoma had been removed from the thoracic cavity.