Study of platelet activation, hypercoagulable state, and the association with pulmonary hypertension in children with β-thalassemia.

Background: The increased survival rate of thalassemic patients has led to unmasking of management related complications which were infrequently encountered.

Objective: Study the increased coagulation and platelet activation in children with β-thalassemia, to analyze the factors that lead to such hypercoagulable state and to study pulmonary hypertension (PH) in conjunction with platelet activation and hypercoagulable state in children with β-thalassemia.

Methods: 36 Egyptian children with β-thalassemia with a mean age of 9.

Clinico-epidemiology of neuroblastoma in north east Egypt: A 5-year multicenter study.

Neuroblastoma, an embryonal malignancy of the sympathetic nervous system, is the most frequent extracranial solid tumor The clinico-epidemiological features of neuroblastoma in infants and children were investigated between January 2005 and January 2010 at the Pediatric Oncology units of Mansoura, Zagazig, and Tanta University Children's Hospitals (Egypt). Of 142 cases of neuroblastoma, 10 were omitted from the study due to defective data. The median age of the patients was 30 months, with 75.

Assessment of Myocardial Function in Children before and after Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation.

Background: Increased interest is focused on the long-term adverse effects of bone marrow transplantation. Subclinical cardiac involvement appears common in adults, but only a few reports have examined pediatric patients.

Materials And Methods: A prospective case-control study of 19 children with normal cardiac function undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was performed.

Spectrum of Beta Globin Gene Mutations in Egyptian Children with β-Thalassemia.

Background: The molecular defects resulting in a β-thalassemia phenotype, in the Egyptian population, show a clear heterogenic mutations pattern. PCR-based techniques, including direct DNA sequencing are effective on the molecular detection and characterization of these mutations. The molecular characterization of β-thalassemia is necessary for carrier screening, genetic counseling, and to offer prenatal diagnosis.

Renal complications of beta-thalassemia major in children.

The success that has been made in the care of patients with thalassemia has led to the emergence of unrecognized complications including several renal abnormalities. Chronic anemia and iron overload as well as the use of iron chelator are believed to lie behind these abnormalities. Many investigators document the presence of tubular dysfunction and abnormalities in glomerular filtration rate in these patients.

Impact of educational programme regarding chelation therapy on the quality of life for B-thalassemia major children.

Objectives Thalassemia is the most common genetic disorder in Egypt, with an estimated carrier rate of 9-10%. It is a genetic blood disorder which can be fatal if proper chelation is not received. The introduction of chelating agents capable of removing excessive iron from the body has dramatically increased life expectancy and improved the overall quality of life.

Deviating from safety guidelines during deferiprone therapy in clinical practice may not be associated with higher risk of agranulocytosis.

Background: A risk associated with the iron chelator deferiprone is the development of neutropenia or agranulocytosis. Accordingly, the product label recommends weekly blood monitoring and immediate interruption of treatment upon detection of an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) <1.5 × 10(9)/L, out of concern that continued therapy might lead to a more severe drop.

Adenocarcinoma of the colon in children: case series and mini-review of the literature.

Colon cancer is extremely rare in children. This article reports three cases of adenocarcinoma of the colon. A 12-year-old boy, a 13-year-old boy, and a 13-year-old girl presented with constipation and abdominal enlargement over a two-month duration.

Treatment for hepatitis C virus-induced portal hypertension in leukemic children.

Children with acute leukemia are at high risk of hepatitis C infection, either by immunosuppression secondary to chemotherapy or by multiple transfusions of blood products during the course of the disease. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection constitutes a major problem during management of acute leukemia due to resultant portal hypertension or bleeding esophageal varices. Chronic HCV infection is a major cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in leukemic survivors.

Platelet count and serum thrombopoietin level as predictors for morbidity and/or mortality in thrombocytopenic neonates.

Background: Serum thrombopoietin in thrombocytopenic infants is largely related to the cause of thrombocytopenia and the underlying disease. Many perinatal factors can affect thrombopoietin level.

Patients And Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study on 119 thrombocytopenic neonates: 54 full term and 65 preterm had been conducted.

Epidemiological characteristics and survival studies of rhabdomyosarcoma in East egypt: a five-year multicenter study.

Background. Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children, it represents 5-8% of childhood malignancies. Aim of the Work.

Impact of anti-oxidant status and apoptosis on the induction phase of chemotherapy in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

This study aimed to evaluate oxidative stress and apoptosis in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at diagnosis and their impact on outcome at the end of the induction phase. Our study included 50 newly diagnosed children with ALL. Evaluation of oxidative stresses (malondialdehyde and total anti-oxidant capacity) was made at diagnosis and at the end of the induction phase.

Bone mineral density in newly diagnosed children with neuroblastoma.

Background: Neuroblastoma is the second most common extracranial malignant tumor of childhood and the most common solid tumor of infancy which is characterized by bone metastasis. Previous reports on bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with leukemia and solid malignancies concentrate on long-term survivors and on the effect of chemotherapeutic agents and irradiation. Also, evaluation of BMD in neuroblastoma was reported in few studies which were conducted upon adult survivors of childhood cancer.

Nosocomial infections and fever of unknown origin in pediatric hematology/oncology unit: a retrospective annual study.

Background: pediatric hematology/oncology patients are faced with an increased risk of nosocomial infections (NIs) that vary in different populations and different institutions with considerable morbidity and mortality. This study was undertaken to assess the frequency and patterns of NIs in 1564 pediatric patients and to determine the prevalence of causative organisms and their antimicrobial sensitivity.

Methods: a retrospective analysis was made in the patients admitted between January 2007 and January 2008 to the pediatric hematoloy/oncology unit of Mansoura University, Egypt.

Comparative study of two mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone derived chemotherapeutic protocols for the management of pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (HL): single-center 5-year experience.

We aimed for the comparison of two protocols (OAP and COMP) as chemotherapy treatment in children with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). A total of 119 children newly diagnosed with HD were divided to receive either the anthracycline-based OAP protocol or the alkylating-agent-based COMP protocol. Sixty patients received the OAP protocol and 59 patients received the COMP protocol.

Infantile hepatic hemangioendothelioma: an 8-month old infant successfully treated with a corticosteroid.

Infantile hemangioendothelioma is a rare benign vascular tumor of the liver. We report a case of hepatic hemangioendothelioma in an 8- month-old female infant who presented with hepatomegaly and respiratory distress, which was successfully treated with oral prednisolone for six months.

The many faces of Ewing sarcoma: difficult to diagnose pediatric cases.

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is the second most frequent primary malignant bone cancer, following osteosarcoma. ES is a small round-cell tumor typically arising in the bones, rarely in soft tissues, of children and adolescents. We describe four children aged 3, 3.

Vitamin e and N-acetylcysteine as antioxidant adjuvant therapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Although cancer therapies have experienced great success nowadays, yet the associated toxic response and free radicals formation have resulted in significant number of treatment-induced deaths rather than disease-induced fatalities. Complications of chemotherapy have forced physicians to study antioxidant use as adjunctive treatment in cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant role of vitamin E and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) in overcoming treatment-induced toxicity in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) during the intensive period of chemo-/radiotherapy, almost the first two months of treatment.

Intracranial hemorrhage in acute and chronic childhood immune thrombocytopenic purpura over a ten-year period: an Egyptian multicenter study.

Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a rare but major cause of death in immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The authors reviewed data of 1,840 patient with ITP, from 5 pediatric hematology centers in Egypt from 1997 to 2007, to study the incidence and risk factors of ICH. Ten cases of ICH were identified with a median age at presentation of 7.