Lipoastrocytoma: a rare low-grade astrocytoma variant of pediatric age.

We report on two children with cerebral gliomas showing extensive lipomatous change of tumor cells. One tumor was a large mass occupying the temporal and occipital lobes of the left hemisphere; the other was a cystic lesion with a mural nodule in the left frontal lobe. Histologically, both tumors were composed of glial cells that contained fat droplets coalescing into a single large droplet, thus resulting in an appearance similar to adipocytes. Immunohistochemistry showed GFAP positivity of tumor cells, which was maintained in the cytoplasmic rim of lipidized cells. Synaptophysin and neurofilaments were negative. Ki-67/Mib1 labeling index was low. Electron microscopy showed intracytoplasmic lipid vacuoles, abundant intermediate filaments and a basal lamina surrounding the cell bodies. Molecular genetic analysis of one tumor revealed no TP53 mutation (exons 4-10), no loss of CDKN2A, and no amplification of EGFR, CDK4 or MDM2. Both patients are alive and well after 3 and 7 years, respectively. However, one of them had to be re-operated on circumscribed local recurrences. Our cases represent a rare variant of low-grade astrocytoma that may be designated as "lipoastrocytoma".

Boswellic acids in the palliative therapy of children with progressive or relapsed brain tumors.

19 children and adolescents with intracranial tumors received a palliative therapy with H 15 at a maximum dose of 126 mg/kg BW/day. All patients had previously been treated with conventional therapy. No side effects were observed during a median 9 months application. The recently reported antiedematous effect of H 15 was documented by MRI in one patient with a peritumoral edema, thus sparing steroid therapy with its typical side effects. Five/19 children reported an improvement of their general health status; this might be a psychological effect of hope for tumor response during palliative care. Three/17 patients with malignant tumors showed a mainly transient improvement of neurological symptoms such as pareses and ataxia. Three further patients showed an increased muscular strength and one cachectic patient achieved a weight gain. These improvements might be attributed to the antiedematous effect of H 15. Because of the palliative situation of these patients, H 15 application was performed without prior rebiopsy for histological evaluation. Overlapping effects with a previous radiotherapy or chemotherapy may have occurred. An antiproliferative effect cannot be stated. To prevent an uncritical use of H 15, further studies with prospective central documentation have to be initiated to evaluate the clinical indications for H 15 in palliative therapy, optimal dosage and duration of application.

[IDA-FLAG (idarubicin, fludarabine, high dosage cytarabine and G-CSF)--an effective therapy regimen in treatment of recurrent acute myelocytic leukemia in children and adolescents. Initial results of a pilot study]. / IDA-FLAG (Idarubicin, Fludarabin, hochdosiertes Cytarabin und G-CSF)-Ein effektives Therapieschema in der Behandlung von AML-Rezidiven bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. Erste Ergebnisse einer Pilotstudie.

Intensive chemotherapy has improved the prognosis of patients with AML. The success rate of relapse treatment correlates with the length of first remission. Thus early relapses and primarily refractory diseases have a grave prognosis. New chemotherapeutic regimens could be useful for those patients. Patients treated for newly diagnosed or relapsed AML with polychemotherapy regimen of the AML-BFM-studies containing induction, consolidation and high-dose cytarabine combined with mitoxantrone (HAM) and relapsed within 2 up to 31 months after the first CR entered a pilot trial, the so called IDA-FLAG regimen. This regimen includes G-CSF (day 0 up to ANC > 1000/microliter, 400 micrograms/m2.d), fludarabine (day 1-4, 30 mg/m2.d), high-dose cytarabine (day 1-4, 2000 mg/m2.d) and idarubicin (day 2-4, 12 mg/m2.d). 10 patients aged 1,8 to 28,1 years (mean = 9,6 years) having the first (n = 8) or second relapse (n = 1) of AML or an acute blastcrisis of myelodysplastic syndrome (n = 1) (FAB classification: M1/M2 = 3, M4/M5 = 5, M7 = 1, CMML = 1) received 14 courses. Overall, 7 patients achieved CR with a mean duration of 8,9 months (1-22 months), one patient showed a partial remission and two were nonresponders. 4 patients are in continuous CR for 7,5 to 22 months (mean = 13,2 months). 3 patients got a bone marrow transplantation (allogenic = 2, autologous = 1) in CR following this treatment. Toxicity was considerable, mainly bone marrow aplasia with leucopenia < 1000/microliter for 15 to 40 days (mean = 26,1 days), neutropenia < 500/microliter for 14 to 39 days (mean = 26,0 days) and thrombocytopenia < 30,000/microliter for 14 to 90 days (mean = 36,5 days). Further important side effects were fever, mucositis and pneumonia. One patient died from an fulminant aspergillus sepsis during long-term neutropenia. The sequential administration of G-CSF, fludarabine, cytarabine and idarubicin is effective in treatment of relapsed AML in childhood and an advisable option prior to allogenic or autologous bone marrow transplantation. With regard to the unfavorable prognosis of relapsed or refractory AML the toxicity of this regimen seems acceptable.

The recurrence patterns of stages I, II and III neuroblastoma: experience with 77 relapsing patients.

BACKGROUND: Recurrences of neuroblastoma Evans' stage I-III are infrequent events and the types of its progression have rarely been reported. Therefore, we investigated the patterns of progression in a large series of patients with long follow-up. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The sites of relapse and time to progression and death of 381 consecutive patients in three cooperative trials (NB 79, 82, 85) with follow-up of 5-16 years were analysed. The Southern blot technique was used for N-myc investigation of tumor tissue. RESULTS: Of the 77 relapsing patients, 41 (53%) had local and 36 (47%) systemic recurrences. The relapses occurred in 9 of 76 stage I patients (6 local/3 systemic), in 4 of 82 stage II (1 local/3 systemic) and 64 of 223 stage III neuroblastoma (34 local/30 systemic) patients. The main sites of distant metastasis were bone marrow (41%), lymph nodes (39%) and bone (37%). The median transition time from localised to metastatic neuroblastoma was 13 months and the outcome as poor (overall survival 9 +/- 5%) as that of the primary metastatic disease (14 +/- 3%). Fifty-three children died of tumor progression and 15 patients of treatment-related complications or other non-tumor conditions. The median age at diagnosis was 43 months for the group with systemic relapse compared to 19 months with only local and 10 months without recurrences (p < 0.001). Elevated serum LDH levels at first diagnosis were seen in 81% with metastatic, in 55% with local and in 33% with no tumor progression (p < 0.001). N-myc amplification was found in 4/14 with local and in 6/12 with metastatic recurrences. CONCLUSION: The high incidence of systemic relapse and the long transition time suggest that transition from localised to metastatic neuroblastoma is not an uncommon pathway.

A scanning tunneling microscope (STM) for biological applications: design and performance.

The design of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) for biological applications, operating at ambient pressure, is described. The STM is combined with an "auxiliary" light microscope to facilitate finding and identifying specimen areas of interest. The performance of the STM has been tested with evaporated gold films and with graphite. We have evaluated evaporated carbon and platinum/carbon films deposited on glass or mica to be used as specimen supports. First applications to biological material coated with a conducting film of platinum/carbon are described.

[Testosteron treatment of excessively tall boys (author's transl)]. / Testosteron-Therapie hochwüchsiger Jungen. Ergebnisse bei 25 Jungen.

Twenty-five boys aged 11.7-16.8 years with constitutionally tall stature were treated with 500 mg testosteron oenanthate two-weekly over a period of 15.6 months on average. Prediction of height was done according to Bayley-Pinneau (BP) and Tanner et al. with a mean parent height of 168 cm (T168) and 172 cm (T172). It was on average at 202.73 cm (BP) and 203.26 cm (T168) or 201.97 (T172). The achieved height reduction was 7.2 cm (BP), 7.73 cm (T168) and 6.44 cm (T172), corresponding to a reduction of 45.6% (BP), 47.3% (T168) and 41% (T172) of the future growth. Whereas the major reductions were obtained in the youngest patients, success of treatment in patients with a skeletal age of 15 and more years was not demonstrable with certainty. Predominant side effects were weight gain within the first 6 months, acne and transient reduction of testicular volume.

[Andrenogenital syndrome (author's transl)]. / Adrenogenitales Syndrom. Therapeutische Einstellung anhand des Tagesprofils des 17-Hydroxyprogesterons im Serum.

Radioimmunologically estimated diurnal profiles of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) showed clearly increased values in 15 patients with adrenogenital syndrome aged 9-19 years who had been treated for at least 4 1/2 years with cortisol. Increases were pronounced in the morning: at 8 hours 58.6 nmol/l, at 12 hours 22.2 nmol/l, at 18 hours 23.7 nmol/l on average. By changing cortisol medication, in particular due to split doses, morning 17-OHP peak values could be lowered and the whole daily profile could be improved: at 8 hours 17.9 nmol/l, at 12 hours 9.3 nmol/l, at 18 hours 8.1 nmol/l on average. The total cortisol dosage had to be increased only marginally from an average of 26.7 to 30 mg/m2 body surface, however, the evening dosage was increased from 20% to 38% on average of the total dose. Measurement of serum 17-OHP diurnal profile is thus advantageous in treatment of adrenogenital syndrome with cortisol when compared to values obtained from 24-hour urine collections.

[The semiautomatic speech audiometry (author's transl)]. / Die halbautomatische Sprachaudiometrie (HAS).

In co-operation with the Viennatone Company we developed an apparatus to perform a "semiautomatic speech audiometry (SAS)". The patient is instructed to repeat the understood words into a cassette recorder when a signal lamp is on. The sequence of the test including the attenuation of intensities and a programmed change of the ear to be tested is automatically controlled. The evaluation of the patient's answers can be carried out by the assistent at any time that is suitable. The advantages of the SAS are a gain in time and the fact that during the test performance the assistent is free to pursue other activities. With the means of the SAS the possibility is now available to perform speech audiometry in very well frequented surgeries of specialists. In a surgery the apparatus was tested in 700 patients with success.

[Acute hemorrhagic meningoencephalitis due to rubella-infection in acute lymphatic leukemia (author's transl)]. / Akute hämorrhagische Meningoencephalitis im Rahmen einer Röteln-infektion bei akuter lymphatischer Leukämie.

We observed a fatal meningoencephalitis in a patient who suffered from acute lymphatic leukemia. The infection occurred after complete bone marrow remission. As the cause of this complication we discovered a rubella-infection, whose beginning had been several weeks ago. Relations to several forms of rubella-encephalitis in otherwise healthy patients are discussed and pathogenetical conclusions are made.

Paraproteinaemia in Sézary syndrome.

We have observed non-myelomatous monoclonal hypergammaglobulinaemia in a 61-year-old man with Sézary syndrome. Similar cases have not been reported before. Sézary cells of patients studied by other investigators were found to be helper T cells. The abundant production of T-lymphocytic stimuli may possibly explain in our case the occurrence of a paraprotein.