Erythrocytosis and Normal Erythropoietin Levels In a 3 Year Old Female With High-Risk Neuroblastoma

Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 4664-4664
Author(s):  
Erin Kelly Barr ◽  
Mary Elizabeth Ross ◽  
Mohamad M. Al-Rahawan

Introduction Erythrocytosis has been reported in a number of cancers as a result of tumor production of Erythropoietin (EPO). There has been one reported case that we are aware of in a pediatric patient with neuroblastoma (Wang LY, et al. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2003 Aug;25(8):649-50). Erythrocytosis in a pediatric neuroblasotoma patient with normal EPO levels, which is the subject of this case report, has not been reported previously. Case A three year-old female presented with a right sided abdominal pain of one week duration as well as constipation and decreased appetite of one month duration. Radiology studies showed a large abdominal mass, which turned out to be a poorly differentiated high-risk neuroblastoma on an incisional biopsy. For the first three months of this patient’s therapy and despite intense chemotherapy she was noted to have abnormally high hemoglobin levels. The peak hemoglobin level was 18 g/dL but she maintained hemoglobin levels greater than 14g/dL, which was greater than the 97th percentile for her age group (Dallman PR, et al. J Pediatr. 1979 Jan;94(1):26-31). Testing for EPO when the hemoglobin level was elevated showed a level of 8.1 mIU/ml, which was within the normal range for the patient’s age group (Krafte-Jacobs B, et al. J Pediatr. 1995 Apr;126(4):601-3). After tumor resection but before the conclusion of the myleosuppressive chemotherapy, hemoglobin levels fell below 10 for the majority of time. Discussion Although there has been a case reported of a pediatric patient with neuroblastoma having erythrocytosis, this is the first case where the patient was actually found to have normal EPO levels. Case reports looking at EPO and erythrocytosis in children with Wilms tumors have reported a couple cases of children who had normal EPO levels (Lal A, et al. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 1997 May-Jun;19(3):263-5). This report showed no recurrence of polycythemia when the tumors were removed in these patients. The authors concluded that tumor or surrounding renal tissue was at some point producing EPO despite their inability to detect it. Conclusion We speculate that neuroblastoma tumors and possibly other pediatric tumors may be releasing a novel erythropoietic cytokine. Hormone-like cytokines have been reported with other cancers, such as hypercalcemia produced by PTH related peptide in breast and lung cancers. More research is needed to determine what, if any, novel EPO-like hormones are being released by neuroblastoma cells resulting in erythrocytosis despite normal EPO levels. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moutaz Ragab ◽  
Omar Nagy Abdelhakeem ◽  
Omar Mansour ◽  
Mai Gad ◽  
Hesham Anwar Hussein

Abstract Background Fetus in fetu is a rare congenital anomaly. The exact etiology is unclear; one of the mostly accepted theories is the occurrence of an embryological insult occurring in a diamniotic monochorionic twin leading to asymmetrical division of the blastocyst mass. Commonly, they present in the infancy with clinical picture related to their mass effect. About 80% of cases are in the abdomen retroperitoneally. Case presentation We present two cases of this rare condition. The first case was for a 10-year-old girl that presented with anemia and abdominal mass, while the second case was for a 4-month-old boy that was diagnosed antenatally by ultrasound. Both cases had vertebrae, recognizable fetal organs, and skin coverage. Both had a distinct sac. The second case had a vascular connection with the host arising from the superior mesenteric artery. Both cases were intra-abdominal and showed normal levels of alpha-fetoprotein. Histopathological examination revealed elements from the three germ layers without any evidence of immature cells ruling out teratoma as a differential diagnosis. Conclusions Owing to its rarity, fetus in fetu requires a high degree of suspicion and meticulous surgical techniques to avoid either injury of the adjacent vital structures or bleeding from the main blood supply connection to the host. It should be differentiated from mature teratoma.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Mana Moghadamfalahi ◽  
Daniel S. Metzinger

Adenomyomas are benign tumors composed of smooth muscle and endometrial tissue. These tumors usually arise from the myometrium. Extrauterine adenomyomas are rare with only a few case reports available in the literature. Here, we report an unusual case of multiple adenomyomas in a 39-year-old woman six years after hysterectomy for multiple leiomyomata. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of extrauterine adenomyoma presenting as an upper abdominal mass.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii423-iii424
Author(s):  
Christopher Kuo ◽  
Kaaren Waters ◽  
Clement Cheung ◽  
Ashley Margol

Abstract Temozolomide is a chemotherapeutic agent commonly used in the treatment of central nervous system tumors. While there are case reports of temozolomide associated central diabetes insipidus (CDI) in adults, this has not been reported in children. We describe the first case of temozolomide associated CDI in a pediatric patient. The patient was a previously healthy 12yr old male diagnosed with anaplastic astroblastoma. He underwent gross total resection of the lesion and was subsequently treated with focal radiation therapy and concurrent temozolomide. On day 21 of therapy he developed thrombocytopenia, severe polyuria and polydipsia. Temozolomide was held and he underwent a preliminary evaluation for CDI. Initial laboratory findings were concerning for CDI, and he was admitted for further work-up and to assess the need for desmopressin. Additional laboratory tests demonstrated normal anterior pituitary function and his serum sodium normalized when allowed to drink to thirst, mitigating the need for desmopressin. Temozolomide was not restarted and the symptoms of polyuria and polydipsia resolved and did not recur. Upon review, the tumor did not involve the pituitary or hypothalamus. Additionally, these areas were not involved in the irradiation field. CDI is a rare but clinically significant side effect of temozolomide, reported in adults. Given this is the first report of CDI secondary to temozolomide in a pediatric patient, we speculate that this is likely under-recognized in children. Prompt recognition and treatment is necessary to prevent severe sequelae of hypernatremia.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Michael J. Schuh

Objective: The purpose of this case report is to demonstrate a possible alternative etiology related to dopamine may exist for foreign accent syndrome (FAS). Methods: A 79-year-old, 205 pound, Caucasian woman originally presented to the department of Neurology for treatment and subsequently to the pharmacist pharmacotherapy service for evaluation of bilateral upper extremity tremor of high amplitude but was found to also exhibit FAS. Discussion: This case report contributes to the limited literature regarding foreign accent syndrome and adds to the few case reports of psychogenic origin, as opposed to the majority, which are of neurogenic origin. This also represents the first case that seems related to withdrawal of medication rather than psychotic exacerbation and ranks a six on the Naranjo algorithm. Conclusion: FAS is a rare disorder and little is understood about it. This case presentation also suggests that chronic use of high-dose dopamine and/or anticholinergic agents may alter pathways in the brain, which in this case, may have potentially contributed to the development of FAS. There remain many unanswered questions regarding FAS, but hopefully more clarity may be found as more cases are discovered and published. Conflict of Interest I declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests that the authors or members of their immediate families have in any product or service discussed in the manuscript, including grants (pending or received), employment, gifts, stock holdings or options, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimony, patents and royalties.   Type: Case Study


2021 ◽  
pp. 10-15
Author(s):  
Thomas Barett ◽  
Emma Wu ◽  
Nirmal Singh M ◽  
Bunty Shah ◽  
Taranjeet Jolly

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a multitude of new medical and psychiatric complications and new presentations that were either never seen before or not seen to the extent that they are presenting now. [1,2]. Increased number of suicide attempts and worsening severity of suicide attempts have been noted in the past year since the COVID-19 pandemic has started [1]. Psychotropic medications can often have lesser-known side effects and movement disorders, including tics, can be one of them [3]. Tics are recurrent, simple or complex behaviors that can be motor or phonic in nature [4,5]. Simple motor tics are often observed as rapid movements while complex motor tics are more synchronized and elaborate. Additionally, noises or brief sounds are examples of simple vocal tics, while speaking a string of words or syllables are more characteristic of a complex vocal tic [4]. The underlying pathogenesis of tics and tic disorders has not been well elucidated, dopaminergic hypothesis being the most widely accepted; however, multiple areas of the brain are speculated to be involved [4,6]. Common treatment options for tic disorders include alpha-2 agonists, clonidine and guanfacine, and antipsychotics [4,7]. Previous literature identifies two case reports that documented tics related to quetiapine. One report described a pediatric bipolar patient who developed tics proportional to quetiapine dose [8], and the other report identified an adult patient with schizophrenia who developed tics during quetiapine therapy [9]. In this article, we describe a pediatric patient who presented after overdosing on quetiapine, lamotrigine and sertraline and developed tics after re-initiation of quetiapine at a much lower dose. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of its kind where tics, which were previously absent, developed on re-initiation of quetiapine after an overdose.


2020 ◽  
Vol 99 (4) ◽  
pp. 183-188

Modern medicine offers a wide spectrum of wound healing resources for acute or chronic wounds. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a very effective method, allowing complicated defects and wounds to heal. The basic set is usually provided with various special accessories to facilitate the use and support safe application of NPWT to high-risk tissue. Selected case reports are presented herein to document the special use and combinations of materials in negative pressure wound therapy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (CSI) ◽  
pp. 12-18
Author(s):  
Ali Al-Rubaye ◽  
Dhurgham Abdulwahid ◽  
Aymen Albadran ◽  
Abbas Ejbary ◽  
Laith Alrubaiy

Background: There has been a rapid rise in cases of COVID-19 infection and its mortality rate since the first case reported in February 2020. This led to the rampant dissemination of misinformation and rumors about the disease among the public. Objectives: To investigate the scale of public misinformation about COVID-19 in Basrah, Iraq. Methods: A cross-sectional study based on a 22-item questionnaire to assess public knowledge and understanding of information related to the COVID-19 infection. Results: A total of 483 individuals completed the questionnaire. The most frequent age group was 26–35 years (28.2%); there were 280 (58%) males and 203 (42%) females. Of the participants, 282 (58.4%) were with an education level below the Bachelor’s degree, 342 (70.8%) were married, and 311 (64%) were living in districts in Basra other than the central district. Overall, 50.8% (11.8/ 22 * 100%) of individuals had the correct information regarding COVID-19. There was a significant association between the level of COVID-19 related misinformation and participants’ educational levels and occupation (p <0.05). However, there was no significant difference found across sex, age group, marital state, and area of residence. Conclusions: Misinformation related to COVID-19 is widely spread and has to be addressed in order to control the pandemic. Keywords: COVID-19, misinformation, knowledge, Iraq


Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Michael Launspach ◽  
Marita Seif ◽  
Theresa M. Thole ◽  
Patrick Jesse ◽  
Joachim Schulz ◽  
...  

Extravasation can present serious accidental complication of intravenous drug application. While monoclonal antibodies do not show the necrotic potential of cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs, considerable inflammatory toxicity can occur, necessitating standardized operating procedures for the management of their extravasation. Here, we report the clinical course and management of dinutuximab beta extravasation in a 3-year-old child. Dinutuximab beta is a chimeric monoclonal antibody targeting the GD2 disialoganglioside on the surface of neuroblastoma cells that has in recent years gained significant importance in the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma, now contributing to both first- and second-line therapy protocols. The dinutuximab beta extravasation reported here occurred when the patient received the antibody cycle as a continuous infusion over a 10-day period after haploidentical stem cell transplantation for relapsed high-risk neuroblastoma. The extravasated dinutuximab beta caused local pain, swelling, and hyperemia accompanied by fever and an overall deterioration in the general condition. Laboratory diagnostics demonstrated an increase in C-reactive protein level and total white blood cell count. Clinical complication management consisted of intravenous fluid therapy, local dabbing with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), analgesia with dipyrone, as well as application of intravenous antibiotics to prevent bacterial superinfection in the severely immunocompromised host. The patient considerably improved after six days with this treatment regimen and fully recovered by day 20.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Bartolo ◽  
Victoria Hall ◽  
N. Deborah Friedman ◽  
Chloe Lanyon ◽  
Andrew Fuller ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are novel hypoglycemic agents which reduce reabsorption of glucose at the renal proximal tubule, resulting in significant glycosuria and increased risk of genital mycotic infections (GMI). These infections are typically not severe as reported in large systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the medications. These reviews have also demonstrated significant cardiovascular benefits through other mechanisms of action, making them attractive options for the management of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We present two cases with underlying abnormalities of the urogenital tract in which the GMI were complicated and necessitated cessation of the SGLT2 inhibitor. Case presentations Both cases are patients with T2DM on empagliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor. The first case is a 64 year old man with Candida albicans balanitis and candidemia who was found to have an obstructing renal calculus and prostatic abscess requiring operative management. The second case describes a 72 year old man with Candida glabrata candidemia who was found to have prostatomegaly, balanitis xerotica obliterans with significant urethral stricture and bladder diverticulae. His treatment was more complex due to fluconazole resistance and concerns about urinary tract penetration of other antifungals. Both patients recovered following prolonged courses of antifungal therapy and in both cases the SGLT2 inhibitor was ceased. Conclusions Despite their cardiovascular benefits, SGLT2 inhibitors can be associated with complicated fungal infections including candidemia and patients with anatomical abnormalities of the urogenital tract may be more susceptible to these infections as demonstrated in these cases. Clinicians should be aware of their mechanism of action and associated risk of infection and prior to prescription, assessment of urogenital anatomical abnormalities should be performed to identify patients who may be at risk of complicated infection.


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