Accidental intramuscular overdose administration of vincristine

Vincristine (VCR) is a fundamental component of various chemotherapy protocols. Several reports of accidental intramuscular (i.m.) administration or overdose of VCR have been published in the medical literature. We report on an uneventful clinical course of both i.m. and overdose of VCR in a 6-year-old girl with Wilms' tumor. To prevent the administration of overdosed drug by the i.m. route accidentally, chemotherapy should be administrated only by experienced medical doctors.     

Mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver mimicking hepatoblastoma

Mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver is a cystic benign liver mass occurring in children. Diagnostic confusion with hepatoblastoma may arise when alpha-feto-protein (AFP) level is elevated. We report an extremely rare case of mesenchymal hamartoma in an 11-month-old boy. Serum AFP was elevated and fine-needle aspiration biopsy suggested the lesion as hepatoblastoma, so he received preoperative chemotherapy. At the end of the preoperative chemotherapy, the tumor size and AFP level decreased. A right hepatectomy was performed. The pathologic examination of the specimen revealed mesenchymal hamartoma. Mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver with increased serum AFP levels may mimic hepatoblastoma if a cytological examination samples only the hepatocellular component of mesenchymal hamartoma. According to our knowledge, this is the first case of the mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver, which showed reduction in serum levels of AFP and involution of the tumor size by preoperative chemotherapy.     

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome caused by hypertensive encephalopathy and acute uremia

Introduction  

The posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a recently proposed cliniconeuroradiological entity. The most common causes of PRES are hypertensive encephalopathy, eclampsia, cyclosporin A neurotoxicity, and the uremic encephalopathy. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, edema has been reported in a relatively symmetrical pattern, typically in the subcortical white matter and occasionally in the cortex of the posterior circulation area of the cerebrum.     

Phenylketonuria with acute myeloblastic leukemia in a 9-year-old boy: reporting a rare case

Phenylketonuria is a genetic metabolic disorder resulting in phenylalanine accumulation in blood. Phenylacetate, which is an abnormal phenylalanine metabolities, was hypothesized to have anticancer activity. Two-years-old boy was diagnosed with classical phenylketonuria because of mental motor retardation. When the patient was 9-year-old, he developed acute myeloblastic leukemia. Here, we present the case with phenylketonuria and acute myeloblastic leukemia because of its extreme rarity.     

Evaluation of carotid intima-media thickness, a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, in children with cerebral palsy

Background

Respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are the most common causes of death in children with cerebral palsy.

Objective

To evaluate sonographic carotid intima-media thickness, an early marker of atherosclerosis, in children with cerebral palsy and in healthy controls.

Materials and methods

One hundred children with cerebral palsy (65 boys), mean age 6.2 (SD, 2.1) years, and 35 age-matched and sex-matched healthy controls were included. Common carotid artery intima-media thickness was measured sonographically. Differences between patients and controls were evaluated with an independent samples t-test.

Results

Age, sex distribution and levels of serum lipids were comparable between patients and controls. Average, right and left carotid artery intima-media were thicker in patients compared with controls (mean ± SD, 0.61?±?0.13 mm vs 0.40?±?0.03 mm; 0.61?±?0.14 mm vs 0.40?±?0.03 mm; 0.61?±?0.13 mm vs 0.40?±?0.03 mm, respectively; all P?Conclusion Carotid intima-media is sonographically thicker in children with cerebral palsy compared with healthy controls, which may express an increased risk of atherosclerotic diseases.