Local bleomycin injection in the treatment of lymphangioma.

AIM: We report here our experience with local bleomycin injection in lymphangioma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nine patients with lymphangioma were treated with locally injected bleomycin and followed prospectively. We performed an ultrasound study in all cases to delineate the size, location, nature, and number of compartments of the cyst prior to the injection. Under ultrasound guidance, the content of the cystic cavity was aspirated and 1 - 3 mg/kg bleomycin were injected. The patients were revisited monthly. No attempt at re-injection was made as long as the mass continued to decrease in size. RESULTS: Patients consisted of 4 boys and 5 girls aged between 14 days and 6 years. The localisation of the mass was cervical in 6, cervical, sublingual, and lingual in 1, axillary in 1 and axillary and thoracic in 1. In six children, the mass disappeared totally after a single injection. In one patient a second injection was needed, and surgical excision was performed in two patients with residual solid component. No complication related to bleomycin was seen. CONCLUSION: Local application of bleomycin in children with lymphangioma is a simple, safe, and effective method. In the majority of cases, total healing may be achieved with a single injection.

Protracted febrile myalgia of familial Mediterranean fever.

Protracted febrile myalgia (PFM) includes severe myalgia of the upper and lower extermities accompanied by fever lasting up to 6 weeks, an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and leucucytosis. We report a 13-year-old girl with PFM, and discuss the magnetic resonance imaging findings of the involved calf muscles. To our knowledge these are the only images of the pathology in the literature.