Wilms Tumor

Welcome to PT 635 Pathophysiology of Complex Patient Problems This is a wiki created by and for the students in the School of Physical Therapy at Bellarmine University in Louisville KY. Please do not edit unless you are involved in this project, but please come back in the near future to check out new information!!

Original Editors - Students from Bellarmine University's Pathophysiology of Complex Patient Problems project.

Top Contributors - Rachel Flaherty, Ali Hafele, Lucinda hampton, Oyemi Sillo, Uchechukwu Chukwuemeka, WikiSysop, Kim Jackson, 127.0.0.1, Elaine Lonnemann and Vidya Acharya Rachel Flaherty and Allison Hafele 

Definition/Description

Wilms’ Tumor, also known as nephroblastoma, is a solid tumor of the kidney that develops from immature kidney cells.¹ It is the most common cancer of the kidneys in children, and the fourth most common type of cancer in children.^1,2 Wilms’ tumors are most often unilateral, affecting only one kidney.³ 5-10% of children with Wilms’ tumors have more than one tumor in the same kidney, and approximately 5% of children with the cancer have bilateral Wilms’ tumors, affecting both kidneys.³

Prevalence

Wilms’ tumor is most common in children ages 3 to 4 and becomes much less common after the age of 5.² Wilms’ tumor affects boys are girls equally, and can also be found in adults, though it is very rare.¹ On average, there are 460 new cases of Wilms’ tumor diagnosed in the United States every year. Approximately 1 in 8,000-10,000 children are affected.¹ About 5% of all cancers in children are Wilms’ tumors.³

Characteristics/Clinical Presentation

Wilms’ tumor is often hard to find early because the tumor can grow large without any signs or symptoms. These children may look and act normally.³ The most common first clinical sign is swelling or a hard mass in the abdomen. It is often firm and large enough to be palpated on both sides of the abdomen, and is usually not painful.³
Some children may also experience:^2,3
-Fever
-Loss of appetite
-Shortness of breath
-Constipation
-Nausea
-Blood in the urine
-Abdominal pain
Wilms’ tumors may also cause high blood pressure. The blood pressure can get high enough to cause bleeding in the eye or a change in consciousness in rare cases.³

Associated Co-morbidities

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Medications

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Diagnostic Tests/Lab Tests/Lab Values

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Etiology/Causes

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Systemic Involvement

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Medical Management (current best evidence)

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Physical Therapy Management (current best evidence)

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Alternative/Holistic Management (current best evidence)

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Differential Diagnosis

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Case Reports/ Case Studies

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Resources

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Recent Related Research (from Pubmed)

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References

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