Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

What MRI can tell us about neurogenic tumors and rhabdomyosarcoma

  • Pediatric Body MRI
  • Published:
Pediatric Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This review focuses on the MRI features of neurogenic tumors and rhabdomyosarcoma in children. Neurogenic tumors include those arising from a nerve sheath and neuroblastic tumors that arise from the sympathetic nervous system. Nerve sheath tumors can be benign or malignant and occur sporadically or in association with neurofibromatosis type 1. Neuroblastic tumors comprise a spectrum of tumors ranging from highly malignant neuroblastoma to the benign ganglioneuroma. These neurogenic tumors arise in typical locations within the chest, abdomen and pelvis and have distinctive and characteristic imaging features that should suggest their diagnosis. Rhabdomyosarcoma encompasses a variety of histological subtypes that exhibit varying degrees of aggressiveness and biological behavior. While some abdominal and pelvic locations are well known to give rise to rhabdomyosarcoma, this tumor can arise in any tissue in the body except bone. The paper reviews the MRI and clinical features of neurogenic tumors and rhabdomyosarcoma and the imaging findings that can aid in clinical management.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Laffan EE, Ngan BY, Navarro OM (2009) Pediatric soft-tissue tumors and pseudotumors: MR imaging features with pathologic correlation: part 2. Tumors of fibroblastic/myofibroblastic, so-called fibrohistiocytic, muscular, lymphomatous, neurogenic, hair matrix, and uncertain origin. Radiographics 29:e36

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Kao SC-S, Parha DM, Fuller C (2015) Malignant tumors of peripheral nerves. In: Parham DM, Khoury JD, McCarville MB (eds) Pediatric malignancies: pathology and imaging. Springer, New York, pp 399–414

    Google Scholar 

  3. Ahlawat S, Chhabra A, Blakely J (2014) Magnetic resonance neurography of peripheral nerve tumors and tumorlike conditions. Neuroimaging Clin N Am 24:171–192

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Slattery WH (2015) Neurofibromatosis type 2. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 48:443–460

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Ferner RE, O’Doherty MJ (2002) Neurofibroma and schwannoma. Curr Opin Neurol 15:679–684

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Amirian ES, Goodman JC, New P et al (2014) Pediatric and adult malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors: an analysis of data from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results program. J Neurooncol 116:609–616

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Bates JE, Peterson CR, Dhakal S et al (2014) Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST): a SEER analysis of incidence across the age spectrum and therapeutic interventions in the pediatric population. Pediatr Blood Cancer 61:1955–1960

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Murphey MD, Smith WS, Smith SE et al (1999) From the archives of the AFIP. Imaging of musculoskeletal neurogenic tumors: radiologic-pathologic correlation. Radiographics 19:1253–1280

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Mautner VF, Friedrich RE, von Deimling A et al (2003) Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours in neurofibromatosis type 1: MRI supports the diagnosis of malignant plexiform neurofibroma. Neuroradiology 45:618–625

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Lin J, Martel W (2001) Cross-sectional imaging of peripheral nerve sheath tumors: characteristic signs on CT, MR imaging, and sonography. AJR Am J Roentgenol 176:75–82

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Matsumine A, Kusuzaki K, Nakamura T et al (2009) Differentiation between neurofibromas and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors in neurofibromatosis 1 evaluated by MRI. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 135:891–900

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Lonergan GJ, Schwab CM, Suarez ES et al (2002) Neuroblastoma, ganglioneuroblastoma, and ganglioneuroma: radiologic-pathologic correlation. Radiographics 22:911–934

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. McCarville MB (2011) Imaging neuroblastoma: what the radiologist needs to know. Cancer Imaging 11:S44–S47

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Brisse HJ, McCarville MB, Granata C et al (2011) Guidelines for imaging and staging of neuroblastic tumors: consensus report from the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group Project. Radiology 261:243–257

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Brodeur GM, Pritchard J, Berthold F et al (1993) Revisions of the international criteria for neuroblastoma diagnosis, staging, and response to treatment. J Clin Oncol 11:1466–1477

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Monclair T, Brodeur GM, Ambros PF et al (2009) The International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) staging system: an INRG task force report. J Clin Oncol 27:298–303

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Kembhavi SA, Shah S, Rangarajan V et al (2015) Imaging in neuroblastoma: an update. Indian J Radiol Imaging 25:129–136

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Irtan S, Brisse HJ, Minard-Colin V et al (2015) Image-defined risk factor assessment of neurogenic tumors after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is useful for predicting intra-operative risk factors and the completeness of resection. Pediatr Blood Cancer 62:1543–1549

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Geoerger B, Hero B, Harms D et al (2001) Metabolic activity and clinical features of primary ganglioneuromas. Cancer 91:1905–1913

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Stein-Wexler R (2011) Pediatric soft tissue sarcomas. Semin Ultrasound CT MR 32:470–488

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Wexler LH, Meyer WH, Helman LJ (2011) Rhabdomyosarcoma. In: Pizzo PA, Poplack DG (eds) Principles and practice of pediatric oncology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  22. Swinson S, McHugh K (2011) Urogenital tumours in childhood. Cancer Imaging 11:S48–S64

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Ferrari A, Bisogno G, Casanova M et al (2004) Is alveolar histotype a prognostic factor in paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma? The experience of Italian and German Soft Tissue Sarcoma Cooperative Group. Pediatr Blood Cancer 42:134–138

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Anderson JR, Meyer WH, Wiener ES (2004) Favorable outcome for children with paratesticular alveolar history rhabdomyosarcoma. Pediatr Blood Cancer 43:180

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Lack EE, Perez-Atayde AR, Schuster SR (1981) Botryoid rhabdomyosarcoma of the biliary tract. Am J Surg Pathol 5:643–652

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Stein-Wexler R (2009) MR imaging of soft tissue masses in children. Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am 17:489–507

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Pai DR, Ladino-Torres MF (2013) Magnetic resonance imaging of pediatric pelvic masses. Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am 21:751–772

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, MS 220, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA

    M. Beth McCarville

Authors
  1. M. Beth McCarville
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Beth McCarville.

Ethics declarations

Conflicts of interest

The author has no financial interests, investigational or off-label uses to disclose.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

McCarville, M.B. What MRI can tell us about neurogenic tumors and rhabdomyosarcoma. Pediatr Radiol 46, 881–890 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-016-3572-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-016-3572-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation