Neuroblastoma may originate anywhere along the sympathetic chain.
The NCI guide to NBL has an excellent diagram.
Location of Primary Neuroblastoma:
| Location of Primary Site | Proportion of Tumors |
The adrenal |
40% |
Abdominal paraspinal ganglion |
25% |
Thoracic paraspinal ganglion |
15% |
Neck |
5% |
| Pelvis | 5% |
Babies less than 1 year old have a higher proportion of thoracic tumors compared to older children.
Roughly 50% of infants and 70% of older children present with metastatic disease.
The most common sites of metastases are:
- Lymph nodes (regional and disseminated)
- Bone marrow
- Bone
- Liver
- Subcutaneous tissue
