Thymic tissue manifesting as a posterior mediastinal mass in two children.

Two boys, ages 2 and 3 months, underwent a thoracotomy for suspected mediastinal mass. Thymic tissue was found. Ectopic thymic tissue should be included in differential diagnosis of a posterior mediastinal mass in children.

[Incorrect caloric-nitrogen composition of parenteral nutrition solutions as a factor for causing liver damage--an animal model]. / Nieprawidlowy sklad kaloryczno-azotowy roztworów do odzywiania pozajelitowego jako czynnik wywolujacy uszkodzenie watroby--model zwierzecy.

The experiment were carried out on 40, 3-week old rats who received solutions of aminoacids, glucose, fat, electrolytes, trace elements and vitamins. The ratio of non-protein calories to grams of nitrogen was: Group I-75:1, Group II-200:1, Group III-500:1. Control Group IV was on standard Murigan chow. The analysis included the following parameters: body mass, serum albumin concentration, GOT, GPT and ECH, and microscopic liver studies. The results show that body mass increases in Group I-III (7.5 g, SD 2.18; 1.45 g, SD 2.33; 1.85 g, SD 1.56 respectively) were significantly lower when compared to the controls (11.6 g, SD 2.72), with p < 0.001. Blood serum albumin concentration values were lower in Group I, II and III, and transaminase activity was elevated in comparison to the controls. Histological analysis showed mitochondrial damage and parenchymal degeneration with proliferation of Browicz-Kupfer cells in Group I and III animals, and no structural hepatic changes in Group II and in the controls. The results suggest a relationship between the above disturbances and the composition of the administrated solutions.

Pancreatic tumors in children.

Pancreatic tumors rarely present in childhood. Diagnostic difficulty and inappropriate treatment may occur due to the variable clinical appearance of the illness. A 26-year audit (1968-1994) at this institution showed five patients ranging in age from 5 to 14 years who were operated upon for pancreatic tumors, four of which were malignant. In two cases primary resection of the tumor was possible and in the remaining three, after establishing the histopathologic diagnosis, chemo- and radiotherapy were used. Three of the five children are still alive; the mean follow-up was 9 years.

Immunological classification of high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) in children.

The immunological classification of 28 high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) in children was shown. The morphological classification was based on Working Formulation, the immunological classification--on acute lymphoblastic leukemia subtypes. The phenotypes were assayed cytofluorometrically with monoclonal antibodies and compared to ontogenic stages in B and T cell development. Small non-cleaved cell lymphoma (Burkitt's type) was seen in 13 patients, lymphoblastic lymphoma in 12 patients, low differentiated in 3 patients. Immunological classification showed B-lymphocyte origin of blast cells in 15 patients including 11 small non-cleaved Burkitt's lymphoma (mature B and cALL phenotype), 3 undifferentiated cases (pro-B and mature B cell) and 1 case of lymphoblastic lymphoma (cALL type). T-cell origin of blast cells was demonstrated in 13 patients. The immunological classification used routinely was helpful in selection of patients with unfavourable prognosis. The more precise description of blast cells was valuable for better adjustment of therapy and better prognosis.

[Secondary neoplasms in two children with Hodgkin's disease]. / Wtórne nowotwory u dwojga dzieci z choroba Hodgkina.

In two out of 59 children with Hodgkin's disease treated with MVPP regimen combined with local irradiation and followed up over 10 years the secondary neoplasms were detected, i.e. in 3.4% with persisting remission of the underlying disease. Chondrosarcoma was diagnosed in one patient in the field of irradiation (after 13 years). This patient died. In the second patient two different tumors (squamous epithelioma and fibrosarcoma) developed after 7 and 9 years following irradiation of two different areas. Actually, there are not any symptoms in this female patients (working). To decrease the incidence of these serious complications of Hodgkin's disease treatment regimens introduced by the Polish Pediatric Leukemia Study Group since 1988, the use of alkylating agents in limited, and the dose of local irradiation is decreased.

A case of abetalipoproteinaemia in a Polish family.

Abetalipoproteinaemia (ABLP) was diagnosed in a brother and sister, 9 and 13 years old, presenting with symptoms of malabsorption during the neonatal period. Both children showed most of the main clinical features of ABLP, including neurological, and ophthalmic symptoms, and mental retardation. Acanthocytosis of erythrocytes was almost complete in the affected children, while in most of the remaining 11 members of their three-generation family, it was found in less than 50% of red blood cells. Absence of apoprotein B and low concentrations of apo A-I and lipids were found only in ABLP-affected children. Among five siblings only the two affected children had ABLP-characteristic lipid storage in enterocytes. The latter features correlated better with clinical symptoms than did the acanthocytosis of erythrocytes.

[Morphological indicators of CNS changes in cyanotic and non-cyanotic congenital heart defects in the developmental age. Nerve cells and their processes studied by staining, impregnation and electron microscopy.I. Development of dendrites studied by the Golgi method]. / orfologiczne wykladniki zmian w osrodkowym ukladzie nerwowym w siniczych i bezsiniczych wadach wrodzonych serca w wieku rozwojowym. Stan komórek nerwowych i ich wypustek oceniony metodami barwnymi, impregnacyjnymi i w mikroskopie elektronowym. Czesc I. Rozwój dendrytów na podstawie badan metoda Golgiego.

Morphometric evaluation of cortical neurons in children with congenital heart defect of cyanotic and non-cyanotic++ type was performed. Investigations based on autopsied material included three age groups of 6, 12 and 24 months respectively in both of the two groups with heart defect and in the control group. Formalin-fixed samples taken from frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal cortex were embedded in celoidin and slices were impregnated according to the Golgi procedure. The development of dendrites was estimated using three different and independent morphometric methods. The results were statistically analysed to reveal a putative mutual dependence between the type of disease, age and localization in cerebral hemispheres and development of dendrites. The study disclosed significant differences in the dendritic tree in relation to the heart defect, especially that of cyanotic type as compared with the control group. A comparison between the groups with the heart defect and the control disclosed significant differences in the dendritic tree. The most remarkable difference was noted in the group of cyanotic heart disease in which the development of the dendritic tree was markedly retarded. No differences between particular localizations in cerebral hemispheres have been found. The validity of Golgi method for investigation of neuron structure was emphasized.

Early diagnosis and surgical treatment of children with congenital vascular rings and accompanying heart lesions.

Methods of early diagnosis, operative treatment and postoperative care are described in children with congenital vascular rings. The ring types were grouped according to Cooley's classification. Among 42 recognized vascular rings 34 children required surgical treatment because of severe or noticeable compressive symptoms of esophagus and trachea. In the postoperative period early respiratory care is especially important.