Navigating Hope and Complexity: Turkish Parents' Experiences with Savior Siblings.

Background/aims: Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing represents a significant advancement in treating inherited hematological disorders, particularly thalassemia major. This technology enables the birth of healthy children who can serve as compatible stem cell donors for their affected siblings. Turkey is a world leader in both PGD+HLA typing technology and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from savior siblings born through PGD+HLA typing.

COVID-19 disease in children and adolescents following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A report from the Turkish pediatric bone marrow transplantation study group.

Background: Data on the risk factors and outcomes for pediatric patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are limited.

Objectives: The study aimed to analyze the clinical signs, risk factors, and outcomes for ICU admission and mortality in a large pediatric cohort who underwent allogeneic HSCT prior to COVID-19 infection.

Method: In this nationwide study, we retrospectively reviewed the data of 184 pediatric HSCT recipients who had COVID-19 between March 2020 and August 2022.

Etiology and Factors Affecting Severe Complications and Mortality of Febrile Neutropenia in Children with Acute Leukemia.

Objective: Febrile neutropenia (FN) is an important complication that causes high rates of morbidity and mortality in patients with malignancies. We aimed to investigate the etiology, epidemiological distribution and its change over the years, clinical courses, and outcomes of FN in children with acute leukemia.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the demographic data, clinical characteristics, laboratory results, severe complications, and mortality rates of pediatric patients with FN between January 2010 and December 2020.

Timing of Central Venous Line Insertion During Induction in Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Purpose: Central venous lines (CVL) in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) provide comfortable administration of intensive chemotherapy and blood sampling. The optimal time for the insertion of CVL in patients with ALL during induction therapy is controversial. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of CVL-related complications in children with ALL concerning the time of CVL insertion.

The clinical follow-up and management of COVID-19 in children and adolescents with an immunocompromised state or a malignancy.

Background: It is still not known how an immunosuppressive state affects the response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical characteristics, outcomes, and follow-up results of COVID-19 in pediatric patients with a history of immunocompromise or malignancy, retrospectively.

Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 who were under 18 years of age and had a history of immunosuppressive chronic disease or under immunosuppressant treatment were included in the study.

A novel Mecom gene mutation associated with amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia in a premature infant.

Background: Hereditary bone marrow failure syndromes are a category of biologically different syndromes that can cause cytopenia in at least one hematopoietic cell lineage.

Case: We present a 29-week-old male infant who had a low Apgar Score, advanced delivery room resuscitation, widespread petechial rash, and ecchymoses at birth, without any dysmorphic features. Initial laboratory tests revealed bicytopenia (platelet count 7x10 3 /uL, hemoglobin of 3.

Evaluation of paediatric immune thrombocytopenia patients with clinical and laboratory findings: emphasizing the role of monocytosis.

We aimed to investigate the relationship between demographics, clinical features, laboratory findings including monocytosis and clinical course in children with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Data of 100 ITP patients were analysed. Complete blood count findings of the patients at certain time points were evaluated to classify the disease as acute, persistent and chronic.

Blended Phenotype of Pelger-Huet Anomaly with Osteochondroma and Autosomal Recessive Deafness with Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct.

Pelger-Huet anomaly (PHA) is a benign hematological anomaly that is characterized by impaired lobulation of neutrophils with a coarse nuclear chromatin. Skeletal abnormalities may accompany this anomaly. Autosomal recessive deafness-4 (DFNB4) with enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) comprises a phenotypic spectrum of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).

Evaluation of voriconazole related adverse events in pediatric patients with hematological malignancies.

Background: Despite therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacogenetic-guided dose selection are recommended for pediatric patients, safety of voriconazole is mostly monitored by clinical assessment. Having comprehensive knowledge of safety profile and distinguishing incidental events from the reactions that are truly related to voriconazole use are crucial for safer and uninterrupted treatment.

Objectives: This study aimed to address adverse reactions during the first month of voriconazole use by systematically evaluating retrospective records of all adverse events.

Atypical comorbidities in a child considered to have type 1 diabetes led to the diagnosis of SLC29A3 spectrum disorder.

Introduction: SLC29A3 spectrum disorder is an autosomal, recessively inherited, autoinflammatory, multisystem disorder characterized by distinctive cutaneous features, including hyperpigmentation or hypertrichosis, hepatosplenomegaly, hearing loss, cardiac anomalies, hypogonadism, short stature, and insulin-dependent diabetes.

Case Presentation: Herein, we report a 6-year-old boy who presented with features resembling type 1 diabetes mellitus, but his clinical course was complicated by IgA nephropathy, pure red cell aplasia, and recurrent febrile episodes. The patient was tested for the presence of pathogenic variants in 53 genes related to monogenic diabetes and found to be compound heterozygous for two SLC29A3 pathogenic variants (p.

Assessment of Minimal Residual Disease in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Multicenter Study From Turkey.

Assestment of minimal residual disease (MRD) in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is of utmost importance both for risk classification and tailoring of the therapy. The data of pediatric ALL patients that received treatment with Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (BFM) protocols were retrospectively collected from 5 university hospitals in Turkey. Of the 1388 patients enrolled in the study 390 were treated according to MRD-based protocols.

Invasive Fungal Infections in Children with Leukemia: Clinical Features and Prognosis.

Objective: The incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) has increased due to intensive chemotherapy in childhood leukemia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, risk factors, causative pathogens, and impact on survival of IFIs among pediatric leukemia patients.

Materials And Methods: The hospital records of 307 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL, n=238), acute myeloid leukemia (AML, n=51), and relapsed leukemia (n=18) between January 2010 and December 2015 were retrospectively evaluated.

Hepatitis-Associated Aplastic Anemia: Etiology, Clinical Characteristics and Outcome.

Hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia (HAA) is a form of acquired aplastic anemia (AA) in which bone marrow failure develops after an acute attack of hepatitis. Bone marrow failure leading to AA is generally severe in cases of HAA and fatal if left untreated. This retrospective multicenter study investigated clinical and laboratory characteristics, possible causes, treatment, and outcome of HAA in children.

Evaluation of Possible Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Febrile Neutropenia Episodes in Children With Acute Leukemia.

With the rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) around the globe, concerns about the management of patients with malignancy have risen significantly. This study aimed to investigate the possible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and prevention policies on the incidence and etiology of febrile neutropenia (FN) episodes in children with acute leukemia. Children who had acute leukemia and were diagnosed as FN in a tertiary center from March 2018 to March 2021 were included in the study.

Pediatric trauma: Blood product transfusion characteristics in a pediatric emergency department, a single center experience.

Aim: To investigate clinical and laboratory data, management and outcomes of pediatric trauma patients who initially received blood product transfusions.

Methods: Between January 2011-January 2021, traumatic children who underwent blood product transfusions within 24 h of arrival at the emergency department were included. Demographics, clinical and laboratory data, Injury Severity Score (ISS), volume of transfused blood products and crystalloid boluses in 24 h were recorded.

Thrombolysis with Systemic Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator in Children: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate systemic thrombolysis experiences with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA).

Materials And Methods: Retrospective data were collected from 13 Turkish pediatric hematology centers. The dose and duration of rtPA treatment, concomitant anticoagulant treatment, complete clot resolution (CCR), partial clot resolution (PCR), and bleeding complications were evaluated.

Different Kinetics and Risk Factors for Isolated Extramedullary Relapse after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Children with Acute Leukemia.

Relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) remains the most frequent cause of post-transplantation mortality. Isolated extramedullary (EM) relapse (iEMR) after HSCT is relatively rare and not well characterized, particularly in pediatric patients. We retrospectively analyzed 1527 consecutive pediatric patients with acute leukemia after allo-HSCT to study the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of iEMR compared with systemic relapse.

Investigating the risk factors for antibiotic lock therapy failure in pediatric cancer: a single center retrospective analysis.

Background: Catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) is one of the most common complications of central lines. Data concerning the effectiveness and safety of antibiotic lock therapy (ALT), especially in pediatric hematology and oncology patients, have not yet reached sufficient levels of evidence. We aimed to share our center`s experience on ALT in pediatric cancer and to investigate the causes of ALT failure.

Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome in Childhood Hematological/Oncological Diseases: Multicenter Results.

The aim of the study was to analyze the characteristics of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) cases treated at 10 different institutions in our country. Fifty-eight patients diagnosed with PRES were included in this study. The data of PRES cases from 10 departments of pediatric hematology/oncology were analyzed.

Analysis of apoptotic, platelet-derived, endothelial-derived, and tissue factor-positive microparticles of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia during induction therapy.

Objectives: Thromboembolism is one of the most common complications during induction therapy of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Procoagulant microparticles in the circulation may cause thromboembolic events. The aim of our study was to determine the levels of apoptotic, platelet-derived, endothelial-derived, and tissue factor-positive microparticles of children with ALL at diagnosis and during induction therapy.