[The Pelger-Huët anomaly. A clinical and ultrastructural study of a family from northeastern Mexico]. / Anomalía de Pelger-Huët. Estudio clínico y ultraestructural en una familia del noroeste de México.

The Pelger-Huet anomaly is a benign disorder which affects the morphology of the granulocytes and is namely inherited as an autosomic dominant trait. The frequency of this anomaly varies from country to country and in México this constitutes the sixth family reported. This is a case of a 21-month-old boy whose anomaly was detected during the study of his ferropenic anemia with which he arrived at the hospital. During the study of his nine family members, the anomaly was found to have also been present in his father. An electron microscopy study of the subject, his father's and a normal control's neutrophils was conducted. The patient's and his father's leucocyte granules were found to be normal but decreased in number. This work includes some discussion on inherited traits, their presentation, morphology, differential diagnosis and emphasizes the importance in recognizing this anomaly and the promotion of genetic counselling.

[Treatment of osteosarcoma in children with pre- and postoperative chemotherapy and block resection of the tumor]. / Tratamiento de osteosarcoma en niños con quimioterapia pre y postoperatoria y resección en bloque del tumor.

The authors describe the results of five pediatric patients with nonmetastatic osteosarcoma of an extremity, admitted from 1987 to 1989 to the Hospital Infantil del Estado de Sonora. Four patients presented with their primary tumor located at the distal end of the femur, whereas one had a primary lesion of the humerus. All of them received preoperative chemotherapy consisted of two cycles of cisplatin and adriamycin. One of the patients presented immediate complications after first cicle and died due to overwhelming sepsis by Candida albicans. Surgery was an amputation in one patients and block ressection in three cases. Necrosis was good in three cases, fair in one. Postoperative chemotherapy consisted of bleomycin, cyclophosphamide and dactinomycin every four weeks alternated with cisplatin plus adriamycin. One of the three patients, in which block ressection was made, had a local recurrence 12 months after diagnosis, without metastasis. He underwent desarticulation and died four months later of leukoencephalopathy and no tumor was found on necropsy. Three patients have remained continuously free of disease with follow up of 20, 26 and 31 months after diagnosis and are out of chemotherapy since 5, 12 and 17 months, respectively. In two of them the affected extremity still is safe.

[Jaundice caused by microangiopathic hemolysis associated to septicemia in the newborn]. / Ictericia for hemólisis microangiopática asociada a septicemia en el recién nacido.

A group of values were prospectively analyzed in 24 infants under 3 months, of age, who showed over 3% fragmented RBC's with no history of blood transfusions. Results were compared with those obtained in group of 26 infants of the same age and less than 1% fragmented RBC's. These infants with over 3% fragmented cells were found to have a significant association with: sepsis, jaundice, crenated RBC's, low levels of hemoglobin, increased reticulocyte count, and low vitamin E levels. No relationship was found with weight at birth, feeding history and disseminated intravascular coagulation. No cases of hemangioma or cardiac diseases were found. These findings are commented.