ABSTRACT
Case histories of two infants with malignant melanoma are presented. Both tumors had developed from a congenital mole to advanced disease with lymph node metastasis at time of diagnosis, findings which are commonly correlated with poor outcome. Initially, both patients were surgically treated. From the experience with few described cases of melanoma in childhood and with a large number of adult patients, neither chemotherapy and conventional BCG immunotherapy nor irradiation seem to be an effective treatment and are accompanied by many adverse side effects. Therefore in one patient therapy was limited to surgery alone. In the other child it was followed by treatment with high-dose recombinant alpha-2-interferon (1 Mill. i.u./Kg X d) plus an H2-receptor antagonist. Unexpectedly this girl developed neurological side effects, characterized by spastic paraparesis, indicating damage to the first motoneuron. All symptoms completely resolved after discontinuation of drugs within three months. Both children have been in complete remission for 18+ and 32+ months, respectively.
Subject(s)
Melanoma/pathology , Skin Neoplasms/pathology , Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/pathology , Combined Modality Therapy , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Infant , Lymph Nodes/pathology , Lymphatic Metastasis , Melanoma/surgery , Nevus, Pigmented/pathology , Prognosis , Skin/pathology , Skin Neoplasms/surgeryABSTRACT
Through the demonstration of 3 cases (6-year-old-girl with right mesenterico-parietal hernia; 2 year-old-boy with a transverso-mesocolic hernia; 10-months-old-boy with a hernia in the mesenterium of a M.D.) we discuss the problems of intraabdominal hernia. The evaluation of the disease can take many forms. Only one third of the children remains without symptoms; the other third has a chronic evaluation and the last third an acute abdomen. Once diagnosed internal hernia must soon be operated.
Subject(s)
Hernia, Ventral/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Child, Preschool , Follow-Up Studies , Hernia, Ventral/surgery , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Intestinal Obstruction/diagnosis , Intestinal Obstruction/surgeryABSTRACT
Malformations of the urinary tract favour urinary tract infection; on the other hand, a urinary tract infection is often the first indication of a malformation of the urinary tract. Further signs are externally visible malformations, such as cheilognathopalatoschisis. In two years we examined 53 children with schistases urologically and found urinary tract anomalies in 39,6%.
