Persistent fever and weight loss due to an interleukin-6-producing adrenocortical oncocytoma in a girl--review of the literature.

UNLABELLED: Adrenocortical oncocytomas are rarely reported, occur almost exclusively in adults, and are mostly nonfunctional. Here, we report an interleukin-6 (IL-6)-producing adrenocortical oncocytoma in an 11-year-old girl presenting with fever, body weight loss, and increased levels of inflammatory markers and serum IL-6. Imaging studies revealed a 4-cm mass in the left adrenal gland. After complete resection, laboratory findings returned to normal. Histology was consistent with adrenocortical oncocytoma, and the tumor cells stained positive for IL-6. CONCLUSION: IL-6-producing adrenocortical oncocytoma should be included in the differential diagnosis and imaging studies should be performed in patients presenting with persistent fever of unknown origin and high levels of inflammatory markers.

Monitoring of anti-L-asparaginase antibody and L-asparaginase activity levels in a pediatric patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and hypersensitivity to native Escherichia coli L-asparaginase during desensitization courses.

A patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who was hypersensitive to native Escherichia coli L-asparaginase (L-asp) underwent readministration of the L-asp without serious adverse effects for 11 doses using a desensitization protocol every time. Monitoring of anti-L-asp antibody and L-asp activity levels revealed that the serum L-asp activity was below the effective levels during the administration of first 6 to 7 doses because of extremely high levels of anti-L-asp IgG. Sustained L-asp activity was attained since the eighth dose was administered, when the antibody levels were <5 U/mL. L-asp activity levels in patients with L-asp hypersensitivity should be monitored during the desensitization courses to ensure a sufficient L-asp activity.

Successful treatment with pulse cyclophosphamide of a steroid-refractory hepatitic variant of liver acute graft-vs.-host disease in a child.

A 13-yr-old boy with recurrent acute myeloid leukemia underwent HSCT using cells from an unrelated donor who matched all HLA antigens except one. Forty-two days later, the patient developed a steroid-refractory hepatitic variant of liver GVHD with peak ALT and T.Bil values of 1406 mU/mL and 10.4 mg/dL, respectively. He was successfully treated with pulse Cy (1000 mg/dose × one day) without a change in chimerism being observed or acquiring an infection. All immunosuppressant therapies could be discontinued 12 months after HSCT. Two yr after HSCT, the patient remains in CR without chronic GVHD. This single case report suggests that pulse Cy may be a promising therapy for steroid-refractory GVHD, especially hepatitic GVHD, but needs to be further tested in clinical trials.

Cost effectiveness of prophylactic treatment with activated prothrombin complex concentrate in a patient with inhibitor-positive hemophilia A.

Patients with hemophilia and high titers of inhibitors are hard to treat during bleeding events and consequently are more likely to incur high treatment costs and to experience deterioration in quality of life. We report here the case of a boy with hemophilia A and high titers of inhibitors who responded well to prophylactic activated prothrombin complex concentrate (APCC) treatment. Previously, he had to be hospitalized frequently because of painful bleeding of target joints of the knee and ankle. At the age of 4 years and 3 months, APCC prophylaxis at a dose of 60 U/kg, three times a week, was initiated together with on-demand therapy with recombinant factor VIIa. This reduced the frequency and severity of bleeding and ended the need for hospitalization. This, together with a decreased requirement for bypass agents, APCC treatment significantly reduced the cost of treatment for this patient.

A marked decrease in CD4-positive lymphocytes at the onset of hepatitis in a patient with hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia.

A 10-year-old Japanese boy developed acute hepatitis with high levels of serum Torque teno virus DNA and marked lymphocytopenia, especially CD4 T-lymphocytopenia. Although the total lymphocyte counts rose as the patient recovered from hepatitis, this was largely because of a marked rise in CD8 cells. In contrast, CD4 cells recovered poorly, resulting in a further striking fall in the CD4/8 ratio. Two months later, the patient developed hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia. He was successfully treated with immunosuppressive therapy, which normalized the lymphocyte subset proportions. T-cell subsets analysis at the onset of hepatitis might be useful for predicting development of hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia.

Another promising treatment option for neuroblastoma-associated opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome by oral high-dose dexamethasone pulse: lymphocyte markers as disease activity.

A one-year-old boy with neuroblastoma (NBoma)-associated opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS) was treated by oral high-dose dexamethasone (DEX) pulses (20 mg/m(2)/day of DEX for three consecutive days) every 28 days for 6 months after resection of the tumor. All OMS symptoms improved after the first course of DEX pulse therapy and disappeared after the last course. No adverse effects were observed. Minor deterioration of his developmental quotient was noted 33 months after the onset of the disease. NBoma remission has been maintained since treatment. Before DEX pulse therapy, frequency of T lymphocyte, in particular CD4-positive cell decreased markedly resulted in low CD4/8 ratio in the peripheral blood (PB). The frequency of B lymphocyte increased, especially in cerebrospinal fluid. These aberrant values in PB were reversed by DEX pulse therapy and correlated well with the neurological symptoms. A prospective study that assesses the efficacy of this promising and inexpensive treatment for OMS is warranted.

Mesenteric venous thrombosis in a child with type 2 protein S deficiency.

A 5-year-old girl presented with abdominal pain and bloody stools 2 weeks after suffering from influenza A infection. Enhanced computed tomographic scan showed widespread splanchnic venous thrombosis and small intestine necrosis. She recovered after the necrotic bowel was resected. The patient continues to receive anticoagulant therapy. Thrombophilia screening after the complete resolution consistently showed mildly decreased protein S (PS) activity with normal PS antigen levels. Sequence analysis detected a heterozygous K196E mutation in the PROS1 gene. Type 2 PS deficiency was diagnosed. This is the first report of mesenteric vein thrombosis in a child with a type 2 PS deficiency.

Refractory kaposiform hemangioendothelioma that expressed vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-2 and VEGFR-3: a case report.

This report describes the case of a 10-month-old boy who was diagnosed to have kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE) with Kasabach-Merritt syndrome (KMS), which is a rare pediatric vascular tumor with a high mortality rate. Although both KHE with KMS were resistant to various therapies, such as oral prednisolone, sclerotherapy, and chemotherapy, repeated radiation therapy with methylprednisolone pulse therapy did reduce the volume of KHE and improved the symptoms of KMS. Unfortunately, a regrowth of KHE with KMS was observed 4 months after the cessation of treatment and the patient thereafter died from an intracranial hemorrhage and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, which is a complication related to repetitive radiation and steroid therapy. A histopathologic examination of autopsy specimens confirmed a diagnosis of KHE and immunohistologic staining was positive for vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-2 and VEGFR-3. These findings may provide the rationale to further investigate the role of VEGFRs in the pathogenesis of KHE and also to elucidate its prognostic value, along with the application of inhibitors for VEGFRs for the treatment of refractory KHE.

Treatment responses of childhood aplastic anaemia with chromosomal aberrations at diagnosis.

The clinical outcome of childhood aplastic anaemia (AA) with aberrant cytogenetic clones at diagnosis was surveyed. Among 198 children with newly diagnosed AA registered with the AA Committee of the Japanese Society of Paediatric Hematology between 1994 and 1998, cytogenetic studies of bone marrow (BM) cells were completed in 159 patients. Apart from one Robertsonian translocation, seven patients (4.4%) showed clonal chromosomal abnormalities in hypoplastic BM without myelodysplastic features. The patients included six girls and one boy with a median age of 11 years (range 5-14 years). Six patients had del(6), del(5), del(13), del(20), or -7, and one showed add(9). Four patients responded to the first immunosuppressive therapy (IST: cyclosporin A plus anti-thymocyte globulin) and one obtained a spontaneous remission. Cytogenetic abnormalities remained in two patients with an IST response. On the other hand, two patients showed no IST response. One did not respond to repeat IST and died of acute graft-versus-host disease after an unrelated-BM transplant. Another obtained a complete response after a successful BM transplant. No haematological findings at diagnosis predicted the treatment response. No significant morphological changes developed during the course of the illness. A literature review revealed that half of 24 AA patients with chromosomal abnormalities responded to the first IST, and that +6 was the sole predictable marker for IST unresponsiveness. These results suggest that IST can be applied as the initial therapy for AA with cytogenetic abnormalities in the absence of completely matched donors.