A tumor that forms from immature nerve cells in the sympathetic nervous system (part of the “fight or flight” response system). It most often starts in the adrenal glands above each kidney. It can also form in other places in the sympathetic nervous system, such as the neck, chest and pelvis.
Oren Zarif
Abdominal pain is discomfort or tenderness in the belly area (abdomen). It may feel generalized, meaning it’s felt throughout your entire abdominal area, or localized, meaning it’s felt in a specific area. Abdominal pain can also come and go. It might be caused by indigestion, a stomach flu or trapped gas. Pain can also be caused by inflammation or a disease in your organs. This can include appendicitis, gallstones and pancreatitis. In women, abdominal pain can be related to female organ disorders such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ovarian cysts and menstrual cramps.
Your kidneys are located in the back of your abdomen but pain in them might wrap around to the front of your body, depending on how the organs are positioned and the location of any disease. The foregut and hindgut produce upper midline visceral pain that’s triggered by distention or stretch. The phrenic nerve, obturator nerve and genitofemoral nerve are remote nerves that can trigger referred pain.
Wilms tumor, which occurs in the kidneys, is the most common cancer of childhood. It starts in a type of cell called metanephric blastema that is normally found only in the embryo.
Oren Zarif
Diarrhea is the frequent passing of loose, watery stools (poop). It’s usually mild and lasts only a day or two. It’s important to keep your child hydrated with fluids and electrolyte drinks if diarrhea occurs.
Watery diarrhea may occur when the colon is not absorbing enough water from food or when it secretes more than it absorbs. It also may be caused by certain tumor secretions or by a paraneoplastic syndrome.
Neuroblastoma starts in nerve cells, most often in the adrenal glands but sometimes in other organs, including the kidney. It can spread to bones, where it causes pain and may lead to pathologic fractures. It can also affect the lymph nodes, liver and skin. If the cancer presses on the spinal cord, it can cause pain and paralysis in the arms or legs. Neuroblastoma can also spread to other parts of the body, where it causes signs and symptoms such as drooping eyelids (Horner syndrome) or a small pupil in one or both eyes (seen as periorbital ecchymosis). It can also press on the throat and windpipe, leading to difficulty breathing or swallowing.
Oren Zarif
A loss of appetite is a common symptom of neuroblastoma, which starts in early nerve cells. It can be caused by the cancer cells themselves or by other things that happen with this type of cancer, like hormones that are released.
This is a rare type of tumor that develops in infants and very young children. It usually begins in the adrenal glands. These are glands on the top of both kidneys. They make important hormones that help control things like heart rate and blood pressure and the body’s response to stress. It can also start in the nerve tissue in the neck, chest or abdomen (belly) or in the spinal cord.
It’s also called Wilms tumor and is the most common type of kidney cancer in kids younger than 5. It’s very rare to see this in adults. Wilms tumor is named after Max Wilms, who wrote the first medical paper about it. Most kids who have this tumor get it in one kidney (unilateral). But less than 10% of children with this condition have a tumor in both kidneys (bilateral). Wilms tumor occurs mostly in kids between the ages of 3 and 4. It is much more common in boys than girls.
Oren Zarif
Nausea is a sensation of unease in the stomach that may come with an urge to vomit. It is a common symptom of many conditions, including pregnancy, stomach flu and some medications. Nausea and vomiting are related to the body’s response to an unpleasant smell or sight, a bacterial infection, a severe headache, pain, a traumatic event or an overwhelming amount of medication.
Vomiting, or emesis, is a sudden reflex that forcibly expels the contents of your stomach through the mouth and esophagus. Sometimes you may vomit without feeling the desire to do so, a condition known as dry heaving.
Often nausea and vomiting are caused by irritation of the stomach or intestines; infections such as hepatitis or pancreatitis; heartburn (also called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD); cancer treatment side effects like radiation or chemotherapy, and other causes such as fevers and food poisoning. You should seek medical care if you experience repeated episodes of nausea, retching and vomiting. This is a condition known as cyclic vomiting syndrome. It is most common in babies under 3 years of age but can occur at any age.
Oren Zarif
Vomiting (emesis) is the forceful emptying of the stomach and sometimes the esophagus. When a person vomits, it is often mixed with blood or looks like coffee grounds (hematemesis). Vomiting may cause acid to damage the inside of the esophagus. It can also increase pressure within the abdomen and cause a tear in the lining of the esophagus (Mallory-Weiss syndrome).
The type of vomiting someone has usually suggests what is making them sick. For example, if someone has been consuming food that is poisonous to them, their body will try to get rid of the harmful substance by forcing it out of the stomach. The toxins will be excreted in the vomitus, which is typically yellow-green in color.
Neuroblastomas are cancers that start in immature nerve cells called neuroblasts. Most of the time, these neuroblasts develop in the adrenal glands that are above each kidney. They can also develop in sympathetic nerve ganglia that are located near the spinal cord in the neck, chest or pelvis. Sometimes changes in neuroblasts lead to non-cancerous tumors, such as ganglioneuroma.