Radiation absorbed dose estimates for 18F-BPA PET.

Background Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a molecular radiation therapy approach based on the 10B (n, α) 7Li nuclear reaction in cancer cells. In BNCT, delivery of 10B in the form of 4-borono-phenylalanine conjugated with fructose (BPA-fr) to the cancer cells is important. The PET tracer 4-borono-2-18F-fluoro-phenylalanine (FBPA) has been used to predict the accumulation of BPA-fr before BNCT. Purpose To determine the biodistribution and dosimetric parameters in 18F-BPA PET/CT studies. Material and Methods Human biokinetic data were obtained during clinical 18F-BPA PET studies between February and June 2015 at one institution. Nine consecutive patients were studied prospectively. The internal radiation dose was calculated on the basis of radioactivity data from blood, urine, and normal tissue of the heart, liver, spleen, kidney, and other parts of the body at each time point using OLINDA/EXM1.1 program. We compared our calculations with published 18F-FDG data. Results Adult patients (3 men, 3 women; age range, 28-68 years) had significantly smaller absorbed doses than pediatric patients (3 patients; age range, 5-12 years) ( P = 0.003). The mean effective dose was 57% lower in adult patients compared with pediatric patients. Mean effective doses for 18F-BPA were 25% lower than those for 18F-FDG presented in International Commission of Radiation Protection (ICRP) publication 106. Conclusion We found significant differences in organ absorbed doses for 18F-BPA against those for 18F-FDG presented in ICRP publication 106. Mean effective doses for 18F-BPA were smaller than those for 18F-FDG in the publication by 0.5-38% (mean difference, 25%).

Two Cases of Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis Following Vaccination Against Human Papilloma Virus.

We herein present two cases of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) following vaccination against human papilloma virus (HPV). Case 1 experienced diplopia and developed an unstable gait 14 days after a second vaccination of Cervarix. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an isolated small, demyelinating lesion in the pontine tegmentum. Case 2 experienced a fever and limb dysesthesia 16 days after a second vaccination of Gardasil. Brain MRI revealed hyperintense lesion in the pons with slight edema on a T2-weighted image. Both cases resolved completely. It is important to accumulate further data on confirmed cases of ADEM temporally associated with HPV vaccination.

Successful Treatment of Extra-Renal Noncerebral Rhabdoid Tumors with VIDE.

Extra-renal noncerebral rhabdoid tumors (ERRTs) are highly aggressive and often lethal. An optimal chemotherapy regimen for ERRT remains undetermined. We report on three pediatric patients successfully treated with vincristine, ifosfamide, doxorubicin, and etoposide (VIDE). Two of our patients who had metastatic or refractory disease have survived more than 2 years, one disease free without myeloablative megatherapy. The treatment with high-dose alkylator therapy is reported to have a beneficial effect on survival. A VIDE regimen containing high-dose ifosfamide is feasible and appears to prolong the survival of patients with ERRT. This regimen may be a promising option for ERRT treatment without myeloablative megatherapy.

Severe hypercalcemia following denosumab treatment in a juvenile patient.

A 10-year-old boy diagnosed with unresectable giant cell tumor of bone in the sacrum was treated with a bone modifying agent denosumab. Administration of denosumab showed excellent clinical response without any major complications, and the tumor was surgically removed afterwards. However, 4 months after discontinuing denosumab, the patient developed severe hypercalcemia (15.2 mg/dl). There was a sharp surge in the levels of bone resorption markers, indicating that disregulated overt bone resorption after the discontinuation of denosumab led to hypercalcemia. The patient was treated with bisphosphonate and barely recovered from the life-threatening conditions. This case shows that a robust rebound of bone resorption may occur following cessation of denosumab and suggests that hypercalcemia is an underappreciated side effect of denosumab therapy in children.

Clinicopathologic analysis of spindle cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Clinical characteristics and optimal treatment strategies for spindle cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma (ssRMS) have not been well established because of its rarity. PROCEDURE: Retrospective re-evaluation of sarcoma specimens (1997-2014) identified 16 ssRMSs (median age 20 years, range 7-39 years). Clinicopathological features, clinical course, and outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: Primary disease sites were the head and neck (10 cases) and other regions (6 cases). Nine cases were at Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study preoperative stage 3. The primary tumors were >5 cm in 13 cases. Two patients had lymph node metastases, but none had distant metastases at presentation. At follow-up (median period 39 months, range 4.6-201), seven patients were alive without disease. Among nine patients treated with the vincristine, actinomycin, and cyclophosphamide (VAC) regimen, five responded well, with four surviving free of disease. Among ten patients with recurrent or progressive disease, three experienced local recurrence, four had distant metastases, and three had both. None exhibited bone marrow invasion. Eight of the ten patients died in median time from relapse to death of 18 months (range 11-56). CONCLUSIONS: Although most ssRMSs present as a bulky tumor, nodal or distant metastases are rare at presentation. ssRMSs initially show good response to VAC, but >50% of tumors recur or progress; these data suggest a worse prognosis of ssRMS compared to the pediatric embryonal variant. As relapse typically occurs as local or distant solitary lesion without bone marrow invasion, localized treatment combined with chemotherapy would contribute to improve the prognosis of recurrent ssRMS.

Cisplatin-induced hearing loss: the need for a long-term evaluating system.

Cisplatin is an effective chemotherapeutic agent against pediatric cancers; however, ototoxicity is a concern. This study describes the frequency, severity, and clinical course of hearing loss in Japanese pediatric patients treated with cisplatin-based multimodal therapy. A total of 55 children who received cisplatin-based therapy from 1983 to 2012 underwent audiologic evaluations. Data were analyzed to determine the onset, time-to-progression, and severity of hearing loss. Thirty-five patients, 12 of 16 older patients (4 y or older), and 23 of 39 younger patients (under 4 y), including 7 of 8 patients treated with cisplatin, carboplatin, and radiotherapy, developed hearing loss. Ten of 18 patients who received a cumulative cisplatin dose of <360 mg/m developed hearing loss at a minimum dose of 200 mg/m. Median time to onset after the last cisplatin dose was 71 days; 6 patients developed hearing loss after ≥2 years. Four patients required hearing aids, 6 patients developed progressive hearing loss with time, and 4 patients exhibited persistent hearing failure at low frequencies. Risk factors for acquired hearing loss and its severity may be associated with a combination of factors such as cisplatin and carboplatin therapy, radiotherapy, age at diagnosis, and genetic background. Our results suggested that all pediatric patients treated with cisplatin would have their hearing evaluated regularly, irrespective of the cumulative cisplatin dose as a suggestion, and that further prospective studies regarding ototoxicity including genetic polymorphisms analysis were required.

[The feasibility of Erwinia asparaginase for pediatric patients who developed an allergic reaction to E.coli asparaginase during treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia].

Asparaginase (ASNase) is one of the most important key drugs in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, clinical hypersensitivity reactions often occur and lead to the discontinuation of ASNase treatment. Here, we report a retrospective study of 68 Erwinia ASNase (Erw-ASNase) administrations in 11 patients with childhood ALL who developed allergic reactions to E.coli-ASNase in our hospital between 2006 and 2012. The median age of the patients was 6 (range, 0 to 14). Erw-ASNase purchased overseas by the patients' guardians had already been administered when we obtained informed consent from the guardians. In all patients, fibrinogen and/or anti-thrombin III levels were decreased, but thrombosis did not develop. There was only one mild adverse event (grade 2 urticaria) in one patient, in whom Erw-ASNase could be continued after increasing the doses of premedication with antihistamine and prednisolone. Erw-ASNase could be safely administered to all patients.

Aggressive transformation of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia associated with duplication of oncogenic KRAS due to acquired uniparental disomy.

A small fraction of cases of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) develop massive disease activation. Through genomic analysis of JMML, which developed in an individual with mosaicism for oncogenic KRAS mutation with rapid progression, we identified acquired uniparental disomy at 12p. We demonstrated that duplication of oncogenic KRAS is associated with rapid JMML progression.

Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon: a report of 11 cases from a single institution.

BACKGROUND: Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP) is a rare condition and optimal treatments have not yet been established, especially for cases that are unresponsive to first-line therapy. We retrospectively reviewed 11 KMP cases treated over the past 13 years in our institute. OBSERVATIONS: With the exception of 1 case, steroids were administered as the first-line therapy. Eight cases required second-line or third-line therapy. The effective salvage therapies include interferon (n=1), radiotherapy (n=1), and chemotherapy (n=5). One case continues to depend upon chemotherapy. Three refractory cases were therapy dependent over 1 year of age, whereas 8 were treated effectively by 6 months of age. CONCLUSIONS: Chemotherapy seems to be the most effective therapy for steroid-resistant KMP cases.

[Severe aplastic anemia following living-donor liver transplantation for fluminant hepatitis].

We report a case of a 15-year-old girl with severe aplastic anemia who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation 5 years ago for fulminant hepatic failure during the course of immunodeficiency of unknown etiology. She previously exhibited similar immunodeficiency and experienced recurrent viral infections. She developed jaundice at 9 years of age and was diagnosed with fulminant hepatitis. One month later, she underwent living donor liver transplantation, with the donor being her father. Five years after the liver transplant, pancytopenia was noted; she did not respond to treatment with increasing doses of tacrolimus/prednisone and administration of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. Bone marrow biopsy was performed, and severe aplastic anemia was diagnosed. Six years after the liver transplant, she underwent bone marrow transplantation (BMT), with the donor being her HLA-matched sibling. However, she developed liver dysfunction with recovery of white blood cells. She developed sepsis, which eventually led to her death on day 30 after BMT.

[Case of amyloidosis with amyloid deposition detected only in skeletal muscles].

A 75-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with progressive weakness in the lower extremities for 7 months. Immunoelectrophoresis of serum detected IgA λ type M protein and bone marrow examination detected an increase in monoclonal plasma cells, thus leading to a diagnosis of IgA λ type multiple myeloma. Subsequent muscular CT scan showed severe fatty infiltration of vastus lateralis muscles, and histopathological examinations of biopsied muscle specimens an abundance of abnormal "ring-fiber-like" appearance, positive staining by Congo red and the presence of anti-λ light chain antibody. This led to a diagnosis of amyloid myopathy. No depositions were seen in rectal mucosa, cardiac muscle, or sural nerve. The results of double immunohistochemical staining using anti-dystrophin antibody and anti-λ light chain antibody suggested the possibility of direct injury by amyloid to muscle fibers. The case presented here was thus amyloidosis confirmed by deposition of amyloid only in muscles. In conclusion, when amyloidosis is suspected and there is evidence of muscle injury, muscle biopsy should be performed.

[Unrelated cord blood transplantation in a child with very severe aplastic anemia].

Recently, bone marrow transplantation from an unrelated donor has been recommended as an option for the treatment of very severe aplastic anemia (vSAA) refractory to immunosuppressive therapy (IST) in the absence of a human leukocyte antigen-matched related donor (MRD). For SAA patients with complications such as bacterial infections, prompt transplantation using either a mismatched related donor or cord blood (CB) becomes necessary. However, the former option is associated with graft-versus-host disease, whereas the latter option is associated with a more significant risk of graft failure. We report a patient with vSAA refractory to IST that was repeatedly complicated by bacterial infection. An MRD was unavailable for this patient, so we decided on emergent transplantation and successfully performed CB transplantation (CBT) using a low-dose TBI conditioning regimen. Although it may be necessary to examine more clinical cases in the future, a conditioning regimen such as that involving low-dose TBI may decrease the risk of graft failure, and CBT may become a treatment option for vSAA in the absence of a suitable donor.

[A case of age-related Epstein-Barr virus-associated B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder which presented with encephalitis-like images].

A 65-year-old man presented with complaints of general malaise and severe disturbance of consciousness since 2 months prior to admission. MRI of the head showed high intensity area in FLAIR image in the left basel ganglia, the medial side of the left temporal lobe and both sides of the frontal lobe and brainstem. The contrasting effect was insignificant. Laboratory investigations showed positive results of EBV antibody titer and elevated EBV-DNA in the spinal fluid. We suspected encephalitis due to Epstein-Barr virus and the patient was treated with acyclovir and high dosage of steroids. However, the patient's consciousness gradually deteriorated and he died on day 146 of admission. Autopsy revealed proliferation of large atypical cells with clear and irregular nuclei in the brain tissue. Immunohistochemistry expressed positive EBER-ISH. This case was finally diagnosed as the central nervous system involvement by age-related Epstein-Barr virus-associated B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder.

The discovery of dinotefuran: a novel neonicotinoid.

Dinotefuran (MTI-446: (RS)-1-methyl-2-nitro-3-(tetrahydro-3-furylmethyl)guanidine) is a new neonicotinoid commercialized by Mitsui Chemicals. Research led to this novel neonicotinoid by the removal of the chloropyridine or chlorothiazole ring that had been considered as indispensable for neonicotinoides. The research advanced as follows; (1) selection of acetylcholine for the lead compound, (2) recognition of the insecticidal advantages of 3-methoxypropyl compounds, (3) synthesis of (+/-)-tetrahydro-3-furylmethyl compounds by cyclization of the 3-methoxypropyl moiety. It resulted in dinotefuran which has a (+/-)-tetrahydro-3-furylmethyl moiety instead of a halogenated aromatic heterocyclic ring, and belongs to the third-generation neonicotinoids (sub-class: furanicotinyl compounds).