ABSTRACT
Leukemic relapse of the eye has sometimes been cured. In this paper we review the cases of leukemic infiltration of the eye tissue with the aim of ascertaining whether an optimal treatment can be suggested. Data from 25 children (16 males, 9 females) with isolated ocular relapse (10 in therapy, 15 off therapy) of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first complete remission are examined. The patients were treated according to different chemotherapy schedules, with (20 pts) or without local radiotherapy (5 pts). Isolated ocular relapse can be successfully treated, especially if it occurs after the withdrawal of therapy; second ocular infiltration was seen only in anterior chamber involvement after low doses of local radiotherapy. While the need for high doses of chemotherapy is not evident, high doses of ocular radiotherapy (> 20 Gy) seem to be mandatory to cure this leukemic relapse.
Subject(s)
Eye/pathology , Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/pathology , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Leukemic Infiltration , Male , Recurrence , Remission Induction , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Eleven girls treated during childhood for acute leukaemia were followed up during their pubertal development. At each examination weight, height, pubertal stage, FSH, LH, oestradiol, testosterone, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate levels were evaluated. Clinical and endocrinological studies were performed according to age and pubertal stage and compared to those of healthy girls matched for age and pubertal stage. Results showed that pubertal maturation and gonadal function were not affected by oncotherapy; however menarche was attained earlier. Early menarche was explained by the overweight of treated girls during early puberty. No evidence of early hypothalamic activation was found, but endocrine patterns showed a faster hypothalamopituitary-ovarian axis maturation in patients than controls. Cranial irradiation showed no correlation with pubertal onset and age at which menarche was attained. Adolescent menstrual and endocrine patterns were normal.
