Abnormal brain MRI in a case of acute ataxia as the only sign of abdominal neuroblastoma

ABSTRACT

Ataxia is a movement disorder that may manifest an acute, intermittent, non progressive or chronic progressive course. Ataxia alone is rare as a paraneoplastic sign, especially if it is due to neuroblastoma [abdominal or chest]. We report an abdominal neuroblastoma in a two-year-old girl presenting with only acute ataxia and abnormal neuroimaging. Brain MRI showed abnormal signal finding in the medulla, pons, corticospinal tract and the periventricular space. In the abdominal CT, a mass was detected in the right adrenal gland with calcification and the histopathologic examination re-vealed neuroblastoma. We suggest in children with acute ataxia, with or without opsoclonus-myoclonus, neuroblastoma should be considered