Feasible laparoscopic surgery for selected cases of primary adrenal neuroblastoma: Results from a comparison with open surgery at a single institution

Introduction: Surgical management of neuroblastoma (NB) has been performed by open procedures for decades. However, advances in surgical devices and technology have made minimally invasive surgery safe and reproducible. In this study, we compared open and laparoscopic surgery regarding biopsy success and curative resection to determine the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic surgery for pediatric patients with adrenal NB.

Methods: We reviewed the clinical data of 22 NB patients who underwent surgery from 2006 to 2021 in our institution. All patients with adrenal NB were diagnosed histologically, and we retrospectively analyzed the data.

Results: The male/female ratio was 16/6. The median age was 2.5 (interquartile range: 2-4) years old, and the laterality was on the right in 13 and on the left in 9. A total of 20 patients underwent a tumor biopsy: 14 via laparotomy, five laparoscopically, and one retroperitoneally. Four patients underwent laparoscopic resection and 11 patients underwent open resection after chemotherapy. Two patients with stage LI underwent primary tumor resection laparoscopically. For curative resection in image-defined risk factor (IDRF)-negative patients, laparoscopic surgery resulted in shorter operation time, with less bleeding and an earlier oral intake. The three IDRF-single-positive patients on the liver (laparoscopic surgery: one patient) had a shorter operation time and less bleeding than the IDRF-multiple positive patients.

Conclusion: Laparoscopic surgery was performed in a limited number of adrenal NB cases. A laparoscopic biopsy for adrenal NB seems to be safe and feasible to perform. Laparoscopic surgery, in carefully selected cases, permits safe and efficient resection of adrenal NB in pediatric patients.