Successful Bridging Chemotherapy with Gemcitabine, Carboplatin, and Dexamethasone before Unrelated Stem Cell Transplantation for Hepatosplenic T-cell Lymphoma.

A 45-year-old woman was diagnosed with hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL), a rare subtype of peripheral T-cell lymphoma. She received different types of chemotherapy, but disease progression was observed. To reduce the tumor burden before an unrelated bone marrow transplantation, combination chemotherapy consisting of the gemcitabine, carboplatin, and dexamethasone (GCD) was administered as bridging therapy, resulting in a reduction in the number of lymphoma cells.

A Case of Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma with Total Lymph Node Infarction.

Lymph node infarction is very rare, and is frequently associated with neoplasms, such as malignant lymphoma and non-neoplastic disease, or interventions such as fine-needle aspiration (FNA). A 76-year-old-man presented with cervical lymph node swelling. Although FNA was performed, the findings were insufficient for a definitive diagnosis.

Internal evaluation of impregnation treatment of waterlogged wood; relation between concentration of internal materials and relaxation time using magnetic resonance imaging.

The purpose of this study is to clarify the degree of impregnation resulting from treatment of internal waterlogged wood samples using MRI. On a 1.5T MR scanner, T and T measurements were performed using inversion recovery and spin-echo sequences, respectively.

Coronary risks after high-dose gamma-globulin in children with Kawasaki disease.

Objectives: The goals of the present study were to develop a predictive coronary risk scoring system after intravenous gamma-globulin (IVGG) therapy of any dose for the different preparations currently used in the treatment of children with Kawasaki disease and to determine the predictive value of the system. The previously reported scoring systems were based on treatment with high-dose IVGG therapy at limited doses and were determined using investigative methods.

Methods: Four hundred and fifty-one patients were randomized into one of three groups and received either i.

Coronary risk factors in school children in relation to their family history of coronary heart disease and hyperlipidemia.

A school-based study was implemented to assess the family history of coronary heart disease (CHD) and hyperlipidemia (HL) in relation to serum lipoprotein and apolipoprotein levels. One hundred and twenty-five elementary school students (aged 9-10 years) and 297 junior high school students (aged 12-13 years) participated. Family history was evaluated by the following scoring method: positive family history in a parent, 2 points; in a grandparent, 1 point; and onset of CHD before age 60, 1 additional point.

Clinical analysis of 570 cases with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: results of a nationwide retrospective survey in Japan.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the incidence of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) among Japanese children and to evaluate the clinical features of this disease. A questionnaire was sent to the department of pediatrics of 1290 hospitals in Japan, in 1994, asking for the number of rheumatic patients during the past 10 years. Subsequently, a second questionnaire was sent asking for the type of onset, clinical features, treatment, and other details.

A nationwide surveillance study of rheumatic diseases among Japanese children.

To estimate the number of children with rheumatic diseases, a questionnaire was distributed to the pediatrics department of 1,290 hospitals in Japan in June 1994. From this survey, 1,606 cases with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), 906 cases with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 320 cases with dermatomyositis/polymyositis (DM/PM), 28 cases with scleroderma (PSS), 70 cases with Sjögren's syndrome (Sjs), 93 cases with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), 25 cases with aortitis syndrome, 20 cases with polyarteritis (PN) and 51 cases with Behçet disease were reported. The crude annual incidence rates per 100,000 among the childhood population were estimated as JRA, 0.

Autologous bone marrow transplantation in children with advanced neuroblastoma.

Background: Encouraging results have been reported with high dose chemotherapy and total body radiation followed by bone marrow autotransplantation in children with advanced neuroblastoma; however, relapse remains a significant problem.

Methods: The authors treated 22 children with advanced neuroblastoma with high dose chemotherapy, surgery, intraoperative radiation, and a bone marrow autotransplant (treated in vitro to remove tumor cells) followed by 13-cis-retinoic acid.

Results: The 3-year relapse rate was 25% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6-44%).

A multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of intravenous gamma globulin therapy in children with acute Kawasaki disease.

We studied the effect of intravenous, polyethyleneglycol-treated, human immunoglobulin, administered at 200 mg/kg per day (group A: n = 147; male 86, female 61; age < 1 year, 50) or 400 mg/kg per day (group B: n = 152; male 87, female 65; age < 1 year, 52) for five consecutive days and compared it with freeze-dried, sulfonated human immunoglobulin [group C: n = 152; male 87, female 65; age < 1 year, 51), administered at 200 mg/kg per day for five consecutive days, on the prevention of coronary artery abnormalities in Kawasaki disease. Echocardiograms were interpreted blindly and independently. Proportions of 87.

Chronic, infantile, neurological, cutaneous and articular syndrome in Japan; two case reports.

We report two Japanese children with chronic, infantile, neurological, cutaneous and articular syndrome. Although the shoulder joint lesion has been rare in the literature of Europe and America, our first case showed overgrowth of the epiphysis in the bilateral shoulder joints. The second case exhibited severe growth retardation caused by early closure of the physis.

[Effective dose of flecainide for arrhythmia in children].

Nine children with arrhythmia (1 automatic atrial tachycardia, 1 premature ventricular construction, and 7 ventricular tachycardia) who started oral treatment using flecainide were studied. All but 2 cases (1 post operative ventricular septal defect, 1 post operative tetralogy of Fallot) had ostensibly normal heart on physical examination, chest X ray and echocardiogram. To raise serum level above 200ng/ml, flecainide dose over 80mg/m2 or 3mg/kg was needed.

Auditory event-related potentials and reaction time in children: evaluation of cognitive development.

The authors studied age-related correlations of auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) using the conventional 'oddball' paradigm and reaction time in 175 normal subjects, aged between four and 21 years. From four years, the latencies of N100, N200 and P300 in ERP progressively shortened until about 16 to 17 years, after which they reached adult level, but with a slight tendency to prolongation towards 20 years; there was no trend for amplitude changes. The reaction time was more rapid than that of P300 latency.

Findings on magnetic resonance imaging of the spine and femur in a case of McCune-Albright syndrome.

Polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, a major osseous change in McCune-Albright syndrome, is seen in the cranium, facial bones, bones of the extremities, and ribs, but rarely in the spine. Spinal X-rays revealed no abnormalities in an 8-year-old girl with this syndrome, but 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate bone scintigraphy disclosed high-density areas in the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. Multiple well-circumscribed areas of low signal intensity were seen on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine.

[The study of mismatch negativity].

We studied age related correlations of mismatch negativity (MMN) auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) using odd ball paradigm in 121 normal subjects (from 6 months to 43 years) and 33 mentally retarded subjects (from 2 to 18 years). The subject was instructed to read a book in order to ignore the stimulus during the experiment, or no specific task was imposed on young child. The MMN wave form was clearly obtained in normal 6 month old subjects.

Trace elements and mineral requirements for very low birth weight infants in rickets of prematurity.

To establish mineral and trace element requirements for very low birth it is important to prevent bone mineral disorder. Those infants fed mother's milk only are thought to be at higher risk of this disorder. Both calcium and phosphorus supplementation were thought to be needed to prevent it.

[Clinical evaluation of effects of KRN8601 (rhG-CSF) on neutropenia].

Clinical effects of KRN8601 (recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor:rhG-CSF) were studied in 26 patients with chronic neutropenia including 4 Kostmann's disease, 1 Shwachman's syndrome, 1 Lonsdale's syndrome, 1 glycogen storage disease Ib-associated, 6 chronic benign, 5 chronic hypoplastic, 2 cyclic, 4 autoimmune and 2 miscellaneous neutropenia. The patients were given rhG-CSF intravenously at doses of 20-540 micrograms/m2 or subcutaneously at doses 20-400 micrograms/m2, over the periods of 2-32 weeks. Increases in neutrophil counts occurred after rhG-CSF administration in 23 of the 26 patients.

Precocious puberty caused by an hCG-producing tumor of the septum pellucidum.

A 6 year 9 month old boy with rapidly progressing precocious puberty was immunohistochemically and histologically diagnosed as having an hCG-producing mixed tumor consisting of choriocarcinoma and teratoma in the septum pellucidum. His serum hCG was elevated, but the serum LH was low as determined by LH immunoradiometric assay (IRMA). He did not exhibit a characteristic endocrinological pattern, e.

Host responses and neuroendocrinological changes in pyrexia in childhood.

Host responses and neuroendocrinological changes during pyrexia in childhood were studied. Serum IL-1 beta could not be detected in most subjects either during pyrexia or in afebrile periods. IL-1 beta was detected in two cases, increasing during pyrexia and decreasing during the afebrile period.

[Treatment of aplastic anemia with KRN8601 (rhG-CSF)].

Thirty-nine patients with severe or moderate aplastic anemia received treatment with recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF). The first group of eight patients received rhG-CSF in doses of 100 to 400 micrograms/m2/d by a daily 30-minute intravenous infusion for one or two weeks. Doses up to 400 micrograms/m2/d were well tolerated and resulted in increases of neutrophil counts in 5 out of 8 patients.

[Support system for the demented elderly--the viewpoint of community care].

Judging from the features of senile dementia, it is desirable for the demented elderly to receive care at their places to which they are accustomed and to be surrounded by affectionate families, if possible. Year by year, however, sufficient intrafamilial care is becoming more and more difficult because of increasing numbers of nuclear families, women's into society, the deteriorating housing situation and the like. Accordingly, the importance of community care is increasing; an integrated care system with close cooperation of medical facility services and at-home services needs to be established.