Which is the most common malignant tumor in pediatric patients?

Which is the most common malignant tumor in pediatric patients?

• A. Rhabdomyosarcoma
• B. Hepatoblastoma
• C. Neuroblastoma
• D. Wilms tumor

Answer: (D)

Wilms tumor, or nephroblastoma, is the most common malignant tumor of the kidney in children. It typically presents around ages 3–4 as a unilateral abdominal mass. On ultrasound you’ll usually see a large, solid, well-defined renal mass that distorts the kidney’s architecture but often stays within the renal capsule; there may be mixed echogenicity from necrosis or hemorrhage and sometimes cystic areas. Vascular involvement can occur, including extension into the renal vein or IVC, though it often displaces vessels rather than encasing them early on. While other malignant pediatric tumors exist in the abdomen, this set’s most common renal malignancy is Wilms tumor, making it the best answer in the context of pediatric abdominal tumors.

Wilms tumor, or nephroblastoma, is the most common malignant tumor of the kidney in children. It typically presents around ages 3–4 as a unilateral abdominal mass. On ultrasound you’ll usually see a large, solid, well-defined renal mass that distorts the kidney’s architecture but often stays within the renal capsule; there may be mixed echogenicity from necrosis or hemorrhage and sometimes cystic areas. Vascular involvement can occur, including extension into the renal vein or IVC, though it often displaces vessels rather than encasing them early on. While other malignant pediatric tumors exist in the abdomen, this set’s most common renal malignancy is Wilms tumor, making it the best answer in the context of pediatric abdominal tumors.