Paraneoplastic manifestations in children

Paraneoplastic manifestations are signs and symptoms observed in patients with cancer, distant from the tumour or its metastases and not caused by invasion, obstruction or bulk mass. In children with cancer, paraneoplastic manifestations are rare and distinct from those observed in adults. Knowledge about paraneoplastic manifestations can be of great clinical importance because they may be the presenting sign of a tumour or its recurrence and hence facilitate early diagnosis. In contrast, they sometimes mask the symptoms of a tumour and cause diagnostic delay. In this review, paraneoplastic manifestations in children are described, including hypercalcaemia, Cushing syndrome, precocious puberty, opsoclonus/myoclonus, acquired von Willebrand disease, watery diarrhoea syndrome, and hypertension. The mechanisms causing these manifestations are also discussed.     

Severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia with renal neoplasm

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia is a type of hemolytic anemia characterized by autoantibodies directed against red blood cells shortening their survival. When autoimmune hemolytic anemia is secondary to a paraneoplastic process, severe anemia can occur leading to significant morbidity and even mortality. Here we discuss the literature and present the case of a child with autoimmune hemolytic anemia from a paraneoplastic syndrome secondary to a renal tumor.     

Prolonged remission of severe Cushing syndrome without adrenalectomy in an infant with McCune-Albright syndrome

A 4 month-old girl presented with severe Cushing syndrome caused by McCune-Albright syndrome. After undergoing 19 months of pharmacologic suppression of cortisol production, she has been in clinical remission for more than 6 years. Adrenalectomy may be avoidable even in severe cases of Cushing syndrome associated with McCune-Albright syndrome.     

伴副肿瘤综合征儿童神经母细胞瘤临床特征分析

目的 探讨伴有副肿瘤综合征儿童神经母细胞瘤的临床特点、治疗策略及预后. 方法 回顾性分析湖南省儿童医院2010年1月至2019年12月收治的9例伴副肿瘤综合征神经母细胞瘤患者的临床资料,包括一般资料、副肿瘤综合征症状、肿瘤情况、治疗策略及预后.随访截至2020年6月1日. 结果 9例中男5例,女4例;起病年龄为19.0...     

Paraneoplastic opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome associated with inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor in a pediatric patient

Opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome (OMS) is a rare neurological syndrome caused by a paraneoplastic autoimmune process that affects children with neuroblastic tumors. Treatment includes corticosteroids, intravenous gamma globulin (IVIG), rituximab, and other immunosuppressive therapies. Here, we describe a patient diagnosed with OMS associated with a localized inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor. The patient has no evidence of tumor recurrence following surgical resection with 8‐month follow‐up. The neurologic symptoms resolved with corticosteroids and IVIG. This case demonstrates that in children, neoplasms other than neuroblastoma may be associated with this paraneoplastic syndrome, and highlights the importance of evaluating patients with OMS for underlying malignancies.     

Humoral hypercalcemia in seminomas

Seminomas are germ cell tumors that are rarely associated with hypercalcemia. In this report, four cases of seminoma with concomitant hypercalcemia are presented and another three from the literature are reviewed. All seven patients exhibited hypercalcemia with a normal serum concentration of inorganic phosphorus and no evidence of skeletal metastases. The peripheral venous level of parathyroid hormone (PTH) was normal in four of the five patients in whom it was measured. The serum concentration of calcitriol was elevated in the two patients in whom it was measured. After systemic chemotherapy, the serum “corrected” total calcium concentration returned to normal and remained normal; the decrease in the levels temporally paralleled the decrease in tumor volume. Both patients with elevated calcitriol levels remained eucalcemic after treatment of the malignancy, suggesting that the increased serum calcitriol level was linked to the development of hypercalcemia as this humoral agent was inappropriately elevated by patients with this syndrome. In contrast to many forms of malignancy, the development of hypercalcemia did not adversely affect the prognosis of the patients with seminoma, since all seven patients entered complete remission. Hypercalcemia appears to be a heretofore unrecognized paraneoplastic syndrome associated with seminoma.     

Different Kinds of Paraneoplastic Syndromes in Childhood Neuroblastoma

Background:

Clinical presentations of paraneoplastic syndromes in neuroblastoma may multiply. Review of the clinical data and the literature on this syndrome may help in the diagnosis of neuroblastoma.

Objectives:

In order to make more accurate diagnosis, we reviewed the clinical data and the literature on this syndrome.

Patients and Methods:

Between April 2007 and April 2012, 68 children were diagnosed with neuroblastoma or ganglioneuroblastoma in our institution, 9 of which presented exclusively with paraneoplastic syndromes and were not treated with chemotherapy prior to diagnosis. After the diagnosis, all patients received chemotherapy and operation on NB97 protocol.

Results:

Among 68 pediatric patients with neuroblastoma or ganglioneuroblastoma, 4 (5.9%) patients suffered from neurological complications at diagnosis, 2 (2.9%) patients had digestive tract disorders, 2 (2.9%) patients had immune diseases, and 1 (1.5%) suffered from hematological disorder (without bone marrow involvement). All paraneoplastic syndrome patients achieved complete remission on paraneoplastic syndrome before completion of chemotherapy.

Conclusions:

Neuroblastoma may present with a range of non-specific neurologic symptoms in addition to the well-known opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome and cerebellar ataxia. In any case, the presence of unexplained neurologic manifestations and other common clinical presentations such as rash, constipation, diarrhea, and especially immune disorders in an otherwise healthy child had raised the possibility of paraneoplastic syndrome due to the presence of an undiagnosed tumor.     

Iatrogenic Cushing syndrome due to nasal steroid drops

Iatrogenic Cushing syndrome may occur as an undesirable outcome of high-dose glucocorticoids treatments. This may also cause hypothalamus–hypophysis–adrenal axis suppression. While this situation may be caused more frequently with oral and topical glucocorticoid therapy, iatrogenic Cushing syndrome in childhood, caused by steroid-containing nasal drops, is a rare event. Hereby, we present a baby who developed iatrogenic Cushing syndrome induced by long-term use of steroid-containing nasal drops for choanal atresia. In conclusion, the serious side effects of the nasal drops should have been explained to the family, and their long-term use should have been refrained.     

Wilms' tumor presenting as Cushing's syndrome

We report a 2-year-old boy presenting with Cushing's syndrome caused by a Wilms' tumor. This is the fifth such case reported in the English literature. Accepted: 19 December 1996     

Central Nervous System Leukemia and Cushing Syndrome

We treated a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who developed central nervous system leukemia and obesity due to Cushing syndrome. The infiltration of leukemic cells was gradually ameliorated with intrathecal nethotrexate therapy. At the same time, clinical symptoms of Cushing syndrome have almost normalized. The relation between central nervous system leukemia and Cushing syndrome is discussed.     

Isolated dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate hypersecretion: A case report

The case of a 17-year-old male with isolated hypersecretion of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) is described. Cushing syndrome, congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency, an androgen producing adrenal tumour, and elevated plasma DHEAS due to an increased renal threshold were excluded. Selective renal vein catheterization confirmed bilateral, isolated adrenal DHEAS hypersecretion. The dexamethasone suppression suggests a functional nature of this alteration. This condition has to be considered in the differential diagnosis of excessive andrenal androgen production in males, or of hirsutism in females.     

Paraneoplastic autoimmune multiorgan syndrome (paraneoplastic pemphigus) in a child: case report and review of the literature

Paraneoplastic autoimmune multiorgan syndrome, also known as paraneoplastic pemphigus, has been observed only rarely among children. We describe a 10-year-old boy with typical clinical and histologic findings of paraneoplastic pemphigus associated with Castleman's disease. His disease was refractory to resection of the tumor and aggressive combination immunosuppressive therapies. The patient died 1 year after presentation, as a result of complications of bronchiolitis obliterans. This case is unusual because of the young age of the patient.     

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor arising in long-standing cerebellar atrophy

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) account for one fifth of childhood brain tumors. Although little is known of the pathobiology of this tumor type, there are associations with both genetic syndromes and exposures to specific environmental agents. Progressive cerebellar atrophy predating the presentation of a primary brain tumor, in the absence of a genetic syndrome, has not been reported with PNETs. We report a case of a posterior fossa PNET occurring in association with long-standing cerebellar atrophy without evidence of a genetic syndrome. This case may represent an unrecognized paraneoplastic syndrome or a unique subtype of PNET.     

Cushing Syndrome

Cushing syndrome is the constellation of signs and symptoms caused by protracted exposure to glucocorticoids. The most common cause of Cushing syndrome in children and adolescents is exogenous administration of glucocorticoids. Presenting features commonly include weight gain, growth retardation, hirsutism, obesity, striae, acne and hypertension. Almost invariably, linear growth is severely diminished, a factor which may be useful in differentiating between childhood obesity and Cushing syndrome. Diagnostic approaches are based on distinguishing between adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-dependent and ACTH-independent etiologies, and consideration of the most likely diagnosis by age. Treatment modality is dependent upon etiology. After cure, important components of care include attention to linear growth, pubertal progression and body composition.     

übergewicht, Hirsutismus und tiefe Stimme bei einer Jugendlichen

The case of an adolescent female with a hormone-producing adrenal tumor is reported. The patient was characterized by virilization and Cushing??s syndrome. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and androstenedione levels were considerably elevated but cortisol excretion showed only a moderate increase. The most common presenting sign of hormone-producing adrenal tumors is virilization particularly in combination with weight gain und accelerated growth velocity. A complete radical operation is the therapy of choice. The tumor was completely resected and 3.5 years after diagnosis there has been no recurrence.     

Outcome of renal transplantation for Wilms' tumor and Denys-Drash syndrome: a report of the North American Pediatric Renal Transplant Cooperative Study

In some children with bilateral Wilms' tumor, reduction of tumor burden cannot be accomplished without total nephrectomy. In Denys-Drash syndrome, nephrectomy is required for associated Wilms' tumor or after progression to end stage renal disease secondary to diffuse mesangial sclerosis because of risk of development of Wilms' tumor. Current recommendation is to wait at least 1-2 yr after completion of chemotherapy for Wilms' tumor before renal transplantation. The North American Pediatric Renal Transplant Cooperative Study dialysis (1992-2001) and transplant registries (1987-2002) were analyzed, comparing children 0-18 yr old with Wilms' tumor and Denys-Drash syndrome to other primary diagnoses. There were 37 children with Wilms' tumor and 33 with Denys-Drash syndrome in the dialysis registry. Of these, 10 children with Wilms' tumor and three with Denys-Drash syndrome did not receive a renal transplant and all died. The cause of death was Wilms' tumor in eight children with Wilms' tumor and in one with Denys-Drash syndrome. The transplant registry included 43 children with Wilms' tumor, 43 children with Denys-Drash syndrome, and 7469 patients with other diagnoses. Acute rejection, graft and patient survival profiles from all three groups at 6 months, 1 and 3 yr post-transplant were comparable. There were no graft failures or deaths because of recurrent Wilms' tumor in the Drash group. There was one death with Wilms' tumor in the Wilms' group - a 2.5-yr-old child transplanted after 6 months of dialysis who died of Wilms' <6 months after renal transplantation. In conclusion, most children dialyzed because of Wilms' tumor and Denys-Drash syndrome who did not receive a renal transplant died of Wilms' tumor. However, the outcomes of children with Wilms' tumor and Denys-Drash syndrome who proceeded to renal transplantation are comparable with children with other diagnoses, with no graft failures because of recurrence and only one death from Wilms' tumor in a Wilms' patient who received only a short course of dialysis prior to transplantation. Current practices in children with Wilms' tumor and Denys-Drash syndrome appear to be on target to portend good outcome following renal transplantation.     

Cushing syndrome due to ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone secretion in a 3-year-old child

Ectopic adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) secretion is a rare cause of Cushing syndrome in paediatric age, due to tumours arising from different tissues. To date, only 11 reports of ACTH-secreting pancreatic tumours in children and adolescents exist in the literature. We present a paediatric case of Cushing syndrome caused by ectopic ACTH secretion. This was caused by a large acinar cell carcinoma that developed in the pancreas of a 3-year-old girl.     

Reversible posterior encephalopathy syndrome associated with micronodular adrenocortical disease and Cushing syndrome

We report a 6-year-old girl with ACTH-independent Cushing syndrome secondary to bilateral adrenal hyperplasia; she presented with hypertension and seizures, and magnetic resonance imaging shows changes consistent with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome.     

Management of Wilms tumors in Drash and Frasier syndromes

Background

Children with WT1 gene‐related disorders such as Denys–Drash syndrome (DDS) and Frasier syndrome (FS) are at increased risk of Wilms tumor and end‐stage renal disease. We investigated whether Wilms tumors in these patients displayed a specific phenotype or behavior and whether nephron‐sparing surgery was beneficial.

Procedure

We retrospectively studied all patients with DDS, FS, or other WT1 mutations treated at our institutions between 1980 and 2007.

Results

We identified 20 patients, of whom 18 had benign or malignant tumors. Wilms tumors occurred in 15 patients, being unilateral in 10 and bilateral in 5 (20 tumors). Median age at Wilms tumor diagnosis was 9 months. No patients had metastases. According to the International Society of Pediatric Oncology Working Classification, there were 19 intermediate‐risk tumors and one high‐risk tumor; no tumor was anaplastic. In patients with nephropathy who underwent unilateral nephrectomy for Wilms tumor or nephron‐sparing surgery for bilateral Wilms tumor, mean time to dialysis was 11 or 9 months, respectively. Other tumors included three gonadoblastomas (in two patients), one retroperitoneal soft‐tissue tumor, and one transitional cell papilloma of the bladder. Two patients, both with stage I Wilms tumor, died from end‐stage renal disease‐related complications. The median follow‐up time for the 18 survivors was 136 months (range, 17–224 months).

Conclusion

Most Wilms tumors in children with WT1‐related disorders were early‐stage and intermediate‐risk tumors, with a young age at diagnosis. In patients without end‐stage renal disease, nephron‐sparing surgery should be considered for delaying the onset of renal failure. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009;52:55–59. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Haemolytic uraemic syndrome in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

We describe a patient diagnosed with haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) during long‐term maintenance therapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). He rapidly developed renal failure, hypertension and profound thrombocytopenia. Despite suffering a large intracerebral haemorrhage, he made a full recovery without residual neurological or renal deficit. His case raises the question of whether ALL or its treatments predispose an individual to developing HUS. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2010;55:1402–1405. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.