Congenital tumors are common in children

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Minh Tuan - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.
Usually tumors do not have any abnormal signs in the early stages, so we often have subjective thoughts. In children, benign tumours, possibly malignant tumors, may appear. Therefore, it is very important to examine and monitor children in the first years of life, especially children with a pre-existing medical history. The following are some types of congenital tumors in children that can be acquired:

1. Lymphoma

Lymphomas are essentially benign tumors, but as advanced and invasive as malignancies, which often appear soon after birth, can continue to appear until the child is 2 years old. About 90% of lymphomas occur in children under 2 years of age.
Accordingly, most lymphomas are located in the periphery, near places rich in lymphatics such as neck, armpit, groin... Neck area accounts for over 81% of cases, so the diagnosis is relatively easy. easy. Besides, some lymphomas are centrally located, such as mediastinum or retroperitoneum, making it difficult to perform surgery if the tumor is located in these locations. Medical professionals will perform a CT Scan before surgery to assess the extent of tumor invasion and make dissection easier. Some hypotheses about the pathogenesis of lymphoma are as follows:
Lymphatic vessels are obstructed, causing the neck region to impede circulation between the jugular and cervical lymph nodes. An error in the circulation of the lymphatic channels occurs due to an abnormality of the embryonic stage. During the 6th to 9th week of pregnancy, abnormal growth of lymphatic vessels occurs, forming cysts filled with lymph. Tumors in the periphery are easier to perform surgical dissection, however, lymphatic tumors are easy to recur.

Be wary of diffuse forms of lymphoma because they can communicate with some lymphatic areas in other organs, and to avoid complications due to volume reduction that occurs when performing a dissection of a lymphoma. Large blood in the body of young children, fluids and electrolytes for children during surgery should be well compensated.
The most complex of the types of lymphangiomas are those associated with hemangiomas. Although there have been advanced methods applied in the treatment process, up to now, the treatment results are still limited.

2. Tumor in the sacroiliac region

Sacrococcygeal teratoma is a congenital tumor, appearing in the sacral region. Usually, the majority of cases are benign, and almost a full recovery is achieved if diagnosed and treated soon after birth. However, if surgical treatment is delayed, this tumor may progress to malignancy. When conditions permit, surgical intervention should be performed as soon as possible.
Approximately 90% of sacroiliac teratomas that are surgically removed soon after birth are benign tumors. In contrast, most cases are melanoma if the child is one year old.

3. Fetal kidney tumor

Nephroblastoma, also known as Wilms tumor, is a malignant tumor that accounts for up to 6% of all cancers in children.
Nephroblastoma is usually detected when children are about 1-3 years old, very rarely children under 1 year old are detected. The tumor usually occurs on one side of the kidney. There are also cases where the tumor appears on both sides, but this rate is quite low.
Nephroblastoma often develops silently, without obvious symptoms. To date, the exact cause of nephroblastoma remains unknown. The diagnosis of the disease is mainly based on abdominal ultrasound, UIV assessment of kidney function, tumor location... and selective renal angiography.
Principles of treatment for nephroblastoma are surgery and chemotherapy. Chemotherapy should be given first to shrink the tumor volume to facilitate surgery instead of tumor dissection in order to avoid unfortunate complications during surgery for patients with large tumor size and large tumor size. invaded. The treatment for nephroblastoma depends on the stage of the cancer and is decided by the specialist.

4. Some other common congenital tumors in children

Besides the aforementioned tumors, some other congenital tumors are common in children, including:
Hemangiomas: usually detected in the first month after birth, blood tumors appear in the peripheral or central heart. Clinically, strawberry hemangioma is the most common tumor type. The treatment of hemangiomas is usually medical treatment. In some cases surgical removal of the tumor, however, should be wary of complications of thrombocytopenia in patients with disseminated hemangioma. In addition, the doctor can choose a number of other treatment methods such as laser burning, sclerotherapy, etc., especially sclerotherapy, which is often applied in locations where surgical intervention is difficult. Neuroblastoma: this is not only a malignancy but also an endocrine tumor, which can present with heart palpitations, high blood pressure. ..The method of disease treatment is surgical removal of the tumor and chemotherapy or combined radiation therapy depending on the stage of the disease and risk subgroups. In addition, in children, there may be some types of teratomas, they appear in some places other than the sacral region, such as the ovaries or in other organs, the treatment method is usually surgery. remove the tumor.
Cancer does not exclude anyone, not even children. Therefore, the examination during pregnancy, after birth in young children is very important. Basically, if the child is examined, it will be possible to detect many dangerous diseases in the child early.
Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has a package of general health check-ups for children. When using the Examination Package, children receive a comprehensive examination, from eyes, teeth, blood pressure, weight to necessary tests, combined with diagnostic imaging. The examination package helps you check your baby's overall health, screen for symptoms for early detection and treatment if needed.
Master. Doctor. Nguyen Minh Tuan has over 27 years of experience in the field of Pediatrics. Doctor was former Deputy Department of Pediatrics - Da Nang Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital before working as a Pediatrician at the Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital as it is today.
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