Successful right atrial thrombus lysis with alteplase in a nine month old infant

Objective. To present the case of an infant with a catheter related atrial thrombus resolved with local instillation of alteplase. Clinical presentation. Echocardiography (ECHO) was performed in an infant with sepsis to estimate cardiac contractility, and a large mobile thrombus (28 x 8 mm) was detected in the right atrium. A left subclavian, double lumen, central venous line (CVL, 4 French, 8 cm), inserted 10 weeks previously, was left in place. Standard treatment with enoxaparine was commenced twice daily for 10 days at a dose of 1 mg/kg. Repeat ECHO showed no changes in thrombus size or mobility. Therefore, alteplase was administered into the distal catheter (1 mg in normal saline) at a dose of 110% of its priming volume. The dwelling time was 2 hours. Since no changes in thrombus size were observed, the same dose was given into the proximal catheter. ECHO performed 24 hours later showed a significant reduction in thrombus size. The third dose of alteplase was administered into the proximal catheter. ECHO showed complete dissolution of the right atrial thrombus. No bleeding was observed during and following therapy, and there were no signs of hemodynamic instability. The CVL was safely removed the same day and no endoluminal thrombus was seen. Conclusion. Local instillation of alteplase in three doses was a safe and effective approach to the management of a large catheter-related intraatrial thrombus. Systemic thrombolytic therapy, associated with an increased risk of bleeding, and open heart surgery were avoided

Age-related biological differences in children's and adolescents' very rare tumors

Very rare tumors (VRTs) in pediatric age represent many different diseases. They present an annual incidence < 2/1000,000 and correspond to about 11% of all cancers in patients aged 0–14 years. They can be roughly divided into two groups: one including tumors that are also rare in adults, and the other group includes adult-type tumors rarely encountered in children and adolescents. Although there is an obvious gap in knowledge regarding oncogenesis in pediatric cancers, there is some evidence of the involvement of various signalling pathways in the development of tumors in children and adolescents and sometimes in young adults. In addition, despite the rarity of these neoplasms, several attempts have been made to disclose the underlying mechanisms. More effort and resources have urgently to be devoted to deepening current knowledge and integrating new findings into the therapeutic approach, which nowadays relies on the treatment modalities used in adult oncology. The aim of this paper is to provide a review of the main solid VRTs occurring in both the pediatric and the adult age groups, highlighting the variability between groups in their biological and clinical course

Adrenocortical tumours in children and adolescents: The EXPeRT/PARTNER diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations

Adrenocortical tumours (ACTs) are rare during childhood. A complete surgical resection provides the best chance of cure, but the role and efficacy of the adjuvant therapy are still controversial. Various histologic criteria of malignancy for ACTs adopted in children do not facilitate comparative studies and are not completely shared. Therefore, a sharp demarcation between benign and malignant lesions has not been recognised, making it difficult to identify who potentially needs perioperative therapy. This manuscript presents the internationally harmonised recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of ACTs in children and adolescents, established by the European Cooperative Study Group for Paediatric Rare Tumours (EXPeRT) group within the EU-funded project PARTNER (Paediatric Rare Tumours Network - European Registry)

The role of cancer predisposition syndrome in children and adolescents with very rare tumours

Germline predisposing pathogenic variants (GPVs) are present in approximately 8 to 10% of children with all cancer types. Very rare tumours (VRTs) represent many different diseases, defined with an annual incidence < 2 / 1,000,000, and correspond to 11% of all cancers in patients aged 0-14 years. Some of these VRTs, including cancer typical for adults, develop in children with a cancer predisposition syndrome (CPS). Classically, three situations lead to consider this association: Some patients develop a VRT for which histology itself strongly suggests a GPV related to a CPS; others are referred for germline genetic testing because of a family or personal history and finally, a systematic molecular genomic tumour analysis, reveals a PV typical to a CPS. Depending on the samples tested and type of analysis performed, information can be directly available about the germline status of such a PV. Depicting the association between CPS and VRT is clinically important as some of these tumour types require adapted therapy, sometimes in the frontline setting, and the proposal of a specific surveillance programme to detect other malignancies. The diagnosis of CPS necessitates a careful familial evaluation and genetic counselling regarding the risks faced by the child or other family members. The aim of this paper is to propose a literature review of solid VRTs occurring in paediatric and young adult patients associated with CPSs

Consensus Paper—ICIS Expert Meeting Basel 2009 treatment milestones in immune thrombocytopenia

The rarity of severe complications of this disease in children makes randomized clinical trials in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) unfeasible. Therefore, the current management recommendations for ITP are largely dependent on clinical expertise and observations. As part of its discussions during the Intercontinental Cooperative ITP Study Group Expert Meeting in Basel, the Management working group recommended that the decision to treat an ITP patient be individualized and based mainly on bleeding symptoms and not on the actual platelet count number and should be supported by bleeding scores using a validated assessment tool. The group stressed the need to develop a uniform validated bleeding score system and to explore new measures to evaluate bleeding risk in thrombocytopenic patients—the role of rituximab as a splenectomy-sparing agent in resistant disease was also discussed. Given the apparently high recurrence rate to rituximab therapy in children and the drug's possible toxicity, the group felt that until more data are available, a conservative approach may be considered, reserving rituximab for patients who failed splenectomy. More studies of the effectiveness and side effects of drugs to treat refractory patients, such as TPO mimetics, cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, and cytotoxic agents are required, as are long-term data on post-splenectomy complications. In the patient with either acute or chronic ITP, using a more personalized approach to treatment based on bleeding symptoms rather than platelet count should result in less toxicity and empower both physicians and families to focus on quality-of-life

The 'Survivorship Passport' for childhood cancer survivors

Background: Currently, there are between 300,000 and 500,000 childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) in Europe. A significant proportion is at high risk, and at least 60% of them develop adverse health-related outcomes that can appear several years after treatment completion. Many survivors are unaware of their personal risk, and there seems to be a general lack of information among healthcare providers about pathophysiology and natural history of treatment-related complications. This can generate incorrect or delayed diagnosis and treatments. Method: The Survivorship Passport (SurPass) consists of electronic documents, which summarise the clinical history of the childhood or adolescent cancer survivor. It was developed by paediatric oncologists of the PanCare and SIOPE networks and IT experts of Cineca, together with parents, patients, and survivors' organisations within the European Union–funded European Network for Cancer research in Children and Adolescents. It consists of a template of a web-based, simply written document, translatable in all European languages, to be given to each CCS. The SurPass provides a summary of each survivor's clinical history, with detailed information about the original cancer and of treatments received, together with personalised follow-up and screening recommendations based on guidelines published by the International Guidelines Harmonization Group and PanCareSurFup. Results: The SurPass data schema contains a maximum of 168 variables and uses internationally approved nomenclature, except for radiotherapy fields, where a new classification was defined by radiotherapy experts. The survivor-specific screening recommendations are mainly based on treatment received and are automatically suggested, thanks to built-in algorithms. These may be adapted and further individualised by the treating physician in case of special disease and survivor circumstances. The SurPass was tested at the Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Italy, and received positive feedback. It is now being integrated at the institutional, regional and national level. Conclusions: The SurPass is potentially an essential tool for improved and more harmonised follow-up of CCS. It also has the potential to be a useful tool for empowering CCSs to be responsible for their own well-being and preventing adverse events whenever possible. With sufficient commitment on the European level, this solution should increase the capacity to respond more effectively to the needs of European CCS

Celiac disease with Evans syndrome and isolated immune thrombocytopenia in monozygotic twins: a rare association

Celiac disease is a multisystem immune-mediated disorder caused by exposure to dietary gluten in genetically predisposed individuals. The clinical presentation is characterized by a multitude and diversity of symptoms and complications. The coexistence of celiac disease with other autoimmune disorders has been established, most frequently with type 1 diabetes mellitus and autoimmune thyroiditis. The association of celiac disease with immune-mediated hematologic conditions has been rarely reported. This case study describes a pair of identical twin sisters with celiac disease associated with Evans syndrome in one sibling, and with isolated immune thrombocytopenia in the othe

Angiokeratoma in Fabry Disease: Diagnostic but not Treatment Effectiveness Marker

Introduction: Fabry disease (FD) is a rare metabolic disorder that leads to severe morbidity and premature mortality as a result of cardiac, renal or cerebrovascular complications. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has been shown to provide clinically important benefits, and treatment is likely to alter the natural history of FD.&nbsp;Case Report: The authors describe a 7-year-old boy with FD. Vascular skin lesions were very helpful in guiding appropriate investigations leading to prompt diagnosis. Because of multisystem involvement, including signs of nephropathy, ERT was started. The boy showed catch-up growth with skeletal maturation, and albuminuria reversed. However, angiokeratomas increased in size and number.Conclusion: The most recognizable early physical sign of FD is angiokeratoma, which can play a critical role in the detection of the disease. However, there is no compelling evidence that angiokeratoma can serve as a surrogate marker for the course of the disease or the efficacy of ERT.</p