Use of hydroxyurea and recombinant erythropoietin in management of homozygous beta0 thalassemia.

This report describes the sustained response of an Iranian girl with homozygous beta(0) thalassemia (IVS-II-1G-->A) to hydroxyurea (HU) and recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO). Since the start of this regimen 7 years ago, she has been transfusion-independent and her hemoglobin is maintained between 9.5-11.

Recommendations for the use of routine bone marrow aspiration and lumbar punctures in the follow-up of patients with retinoblastoma.

Purpose: Patients with metastatic retinoblastoma have a poor outcome. Hope that early detection of extraocular spread will improve survival has led to routine monitoring with bone marrow and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examinations. In light of cost and patient morbidity, the clinical utility of this practice is questioned.

Enuresis in sickle cell disease.

The prevalence of enuresis and management options for this condition were studied in our population of sickle cell patients. A total of 91 active patients (6 to 21 years old) followed at our regional sickle cell center was surveyed for the symptoms of primary nocturnal enuresis. Of the 91 patients 27 (29.