Howell-Jolly bodies and liver-spleen scanning for assessment of splenic filtrative function yields discordant results in renal transplant recipients.

Given discrepancies between methods for diagnosing hyposplenism, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the spleen size on the correlation between the methods, and to propose a model for improving the interpretation. Patients with renal allografts were included, in whom the spleen was assessed using Doppler ultrasound, scintiscan, and the presence of Howell-Jolly bodies (HJBs) in peripheral smears. In 35 subjects, scintiscan and HJBs were normal (Group 0); 20 had an abnormal result in both methods (Group 1); 34 had discordant results with HJBs present (Group 2); and 14 had discordant results with decreased spleen uptake (Group 3). There was no association between HJBs and scintiscan. The patients of Groups 1 and 2 had smaller spleens. The patients with smaller spleen had more hematological evidence of hyposplenism and exhibit smaller discrepancies between the methods than patients with larger spleen. The spleen can tip the balance from a normal to impaired function provided that the spleen size is below the critical mass required to maintain splenic function. A mild impairment of phagocytic function and slight dyserythropoiesis along with a small spleen would result in decreased take up of radiocolloid or the appearance of HJBs in blood smears.

Trisomy 11 as an additional chromosome alteration in a child with acute promyelocytic leukemia with poor prognosis.

The prognostic significance of the additional abnormalities to the t(15; 17) remains controversial. We report a case of promyelocytic leukemia (APL) in a ten-year-old boy. Classical and molecular cytogenetic (FISH) studies of a bone marrow sample obtained at diagnosis revealed the presence of trisomy of chromosome 11 as an additional chromosomal abnormality to the t(15; 17). The presence of the translocation t(15; 17), the cytogenetic marker of APL, is usually associated with good response to treatment with ATRA. In this case, although the patient had risk factors associated with good prognosis, he evolved and died quickly. So it seems that the presence of the trisomy 11 may be associated with disease progression and the poor outcome. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of t(15; 17) associated with trisomy of chromosome 11 in a child with APL.

Aspectos da tomografia computadorizada no linfoma em pacientes abaixo de 20 anos de idade / Computed tomography findings in patients less than 20 years old with lymphoma

OBJETIVO: Descrever os achados gerais do linfoma em pacientes abaixo de 20 anos de idade e por subtipo histológico. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo do arquivo digital de tomografia computadorizada do Centro de Controle do Câncer do Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, no período de março de 2003 a julho de 2005. Dos 22 casos - 16 do sexo masculino e 6 do sexo feminino, com média de idade de 11,5 anos -, 12 eram do subtipo Hodgkin e 10 eram não-Hodgkin. RESULTADOS: Dos achados gerais, verificamos as linfonodomegalias mediastinais como o mais freqüente (59 por cento), com predomínio no grupo Hodgkin (75 por cento), seguido por hepatoesplenomegalia (50 por cento) e linfonodomegalias cervicais e retroperitoneais (27,3 por cento). No subtipo Hodgkin houve predomínio do acometimento linfonodal, em sucessivas cadeias, seguido pela hepatoesplenomegalia (50 por cento). Verificamos um caso de massa tonsilar unilateral, opacidade pulmonar em "vidro-fosco" e nódulos renais. No subtipo não-Hodgkin houve predomínio extranodal caracterizado por hepatoesplenomegalia (50 por cento), espessamento de alça intestinal (40 por cento), derrame pleural (30 por cento), nódulo pulmonar (20 por cento), ascite (10 por cento), derrame pericárdico (10 por cento) e lesões ósseas mistas (10 por cento). CONCLUSÃO: A tomografia computadorizada é de grande valia no diagnóstico, estadiamento e seguimento do linfoma, com achados de alerta como massa linfonodal, notadamente mediastinal, hepatoesplenomegalia, massa unilateral na tonsila e espessamento parietal de alça intestinal.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the general findings of lymphoma and their histological patterns in patients less than 20 years old. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-two cases (16 male and 6 female, mean age 11.5 years) from the digital archive of computed tomography at the Cancer Control Center of "Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro", Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, were retrospectively analyzed in the period between March 2003 and July 2005. Of these 22 cases, 12 were Hodgkin's and 10 were non-Hodgkin's. RESULTS: Overall, mediastinal lymphadenomegaly was the most frequent finding (59 percent), with predominance in the Hodgkin's subgroup (75 percent), followed by hepatosplenomegaly (50 percent) and cervical and retroperitoneal lymphadenomegaly (27.3 percent). The Hodgkin's subgroup presented a prevalence of lymphadenopathy, in many lymph node chains, followed by hepatosplenomegaly (50 percent). One case was found with unilateral tonsillar mass, pulmonary ground-glass opacities, and renal nodules. In the non-Hodgkin's subgroup, the disease was predominantly extranodal, characterized by hepatosplenomegaly (50 percent), thickening of the intestinal wall (40 percent), pleural effusion (30 percent), pulmonary nodule (20 percent), ascites (10 percent), pericardial effusion (10 percent) and mixed bone lesions (10 percent). CONCLUSION: Computed tomography is an extremely useful method for detection, staging and follow-up of lymphomas, with alert findings like mediastinal lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, unilateral tonsillar mass and thickening of intestinal wall.

Linfoma pulmonar / Pulmonary lymphoma

Linfomas não-Hodgkin constituem um grupo de doenças linfoproliferativas malignas com diferentes padrões de comportamento, tratamento e prognóstico. Podem acometer as estruturas intratorácicas, particularmente os linfonodos mediastinais e o parênquima pulmonar, em alguma fase docurso da doença. Os autores descrevem um caso de linfoma não-Hodgkin com manifestação atípica nos pulmões e discutem o diagnóstico diferencial.