Search

Objective: Rare factor deficiencies are a group of autosomal recessive bleeding disorders (with the exception of dysfibrinogenemia), which are characterized by the deficiency or dysfunction of one or more coagulation factors (F)I, FII, FV, FV+FVIII, FVII, FX, FXI, FXII, and FXIII. Materials and Methods: 188 patients with a rare factor deficiency from seven distinct pediatric hematology centers in Turkey were obtained for the study. Results: 60 (31.9%) patients had a family history of bleeding. Consanguinity was detected in 85 patients (45.2%). 128 patients (68.1%) were symptomatic; the most common bleeding symptom was epistaxis (34.6%) and followed by the bleeding of skin (19.1%), oral cavity (16.1%), soft tissue (8%), central nervous system (CNS) (6.2%), uterine (4.9%), joint (3.7%), gastrointestinal system (GIS) (3.7%), and urinary system (US) (3.7%). The first bleeding sites consist of nose (39%), CNS (10.9%), oral cavity (10.9%), skin (10.9%), umbilical cord (10.2%), GIS (5.5%), US (5.5%), heel (4.7%), and musculoskeletal system (2.3%). CNS hemorrhage was the most common in fibrinogen (n:4), FVII (n:6), and FX (n:2) deficiency, umbilical cord bleeding was the most common in fibrinogen (n:3) and FXIII (n:7) deficiency, heel bleeding was frequently seen in fibrinogen (n:6) deficiency. The life-threatening bleedings were CNS (n:27, 77.1%), GIS (n:7, 20%), and iliopsoas (n:1, 2.9%), respectively. The reasons leading to the diagnosis were bleeding (57.4%), preoperative screening (15.4%), incidental (15.4%), family history (6.4%), and postoperative bleeding (5.3%). 2/5 FXII deficiency patients had mild bleeding symptoms. Conclusion: As bleeding disorders are somehow a rare group of disorder, early diagnosis and treatment are critical to reduce the high morbidity and mortality [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) osteopontin (OPN) levels and central nervous system (CNS) involvement in children with a diagnosis of acute leukemia. The study sample consisted of 62 patients who had been diagnosed with acute leukemia. The control group consisted of 16 patients that had presented and had no malignant disease, CNS infection or chronic disease. CSF OPN levels were studied with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The mean CSF OPN level was 32.76±49.22 ng/ml in the patients at the time of diagnosis and 14.93±6.84 ng/ml in the control group (p>0.05). The mean CSF OPN level was 27.68±32.73 ng/ml at the time of diagnosis in the group without CNS involvement and 53.48±89.21 ng/ml in the group with CNS involvement (p>0.05). However, the CSF OPN level at the time of CNS relapse in patients who developed CNS involvement during follow-up (127.4±52 ng/ml) was significantly higher than in the group without CNS involvement at diagnosis and follow-up (mean CSF OPN level: 27.68±32.73 ng/ml) (p<0.001). The analysis of CSF OPN levels at the time of diagnosis-before relapse and at the periods of relapse and remission in patients who had CNS involvement at diagnosis and/or follow-up revealed statistically significant differences between the time points (p<0.001). High CSF OPN levels in childhood acute leukemia patients may be used as evidence for CNS involvement, and any increases found in CSF OPN levels may be a preliminary predictor for CNS involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the intima-media thickness (IMT) of carotid arteries and endothelial function parameters such as plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and homocysteine levels in hypercholesterolemic children and to investigate the relations of these parameters with hypercholesterolemia. Fifty-seven hypercholesterolemic and 37 healthy children were included in the study. Hypercholesterolemia was defined as 155 mg/dl and above for low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol. Plasma concentrations of ADMA and homocysteine were measured and the measurement of carotid IMT was determined. Both carotid IMT and plasma ADMA levels were significantly higher in hypercholesterolemic children than healthy children (p<0.01). No significant difference was determined in homocysteine concentration between hypercholesterolemic children and the control group (p>0.05). No significant correlation was observed between lipid profiles and the levels of ADMA and homocysteine. However, a significant positive correlation was found between carotid IMT and total and LDL-cholesterol levels and between the levels of ADMA and LDL-cholesterol. In conclusion, the progressive increase in ADMA levels and carotid IMT and the positive relationship between carotid IMT and serum cholesterol levels support that plasma ADMA levels and carotid IMT can be indicators of early atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tularemia is a zoonotic disease caused by Francisella tularensis. The clinical forms mostly depend on the port of entry into humans. Ingestion typically results in the oropharyngeal form and is associated with symptoms such as fever, pharyngitis, cervical lymphadenitis, and suppuration. In this report, we describe a child treated for Hodgkin's disease presenting six years later with a left cervical lymphadenopathy mimicking a relapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphomas originating from the meninges without brain or systemic involvement represent an extremely rare type of primary central nervous system lymphomas. Here, we report a case of primary dural lymphoma in a 3-year-old boy who was brought to the hospital due to headache, nausea, and vomiting episodes ongoing for several days. An acute hematoma in the right frontoparietal region was detected on a brain CT scan. The patient underwent surgery to remove the hematoma, which was then sent for pathologic examination. The pathology report revealed lymphoblastic B-cell lymphoma with a Ki-67 proliferation index of 80%. Radiologic and FDG-PET/CT imaging, as well as bone marrow examination, did not reveal any systemic disease. The NHL BFM 2012 lymphoblastic lymphoma treatment protocol was started and successfully completed. The patient has been followed for ~2 years and is still alive and disease-free. This is the first case of pediatric primary dural lymphoblastic B-cell lymphoma ever reported in the literature., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)