Aleukemic Leukemia Cutis Presenting as a Sole Sign of Relapsed Paediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

The author describes paediatric case of relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) presented as aleukemic leukaemia cutis (ALC). A 2 year old child was admitted in tertiary oncology centre. He suffered from pre B cell ALL with absent Philadelphia chromosome. This patient received multiagent induction chemotherapy as per Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster (BFM) protocol for ALL. He achieved remission after 28 days of treatment. Subsequently he presented with multiple skin lesions in the form of multiple small erythematous violaceous macules, papules, plaques and nodules on face, chest and back regions. Histopathological examination of biopsy of skin revealed diffuse infiltration of tumor cells with prominent nucleoli, scant eosinophilic cytoplasm and numerous mitotic figures consistent with LC. Immunohistochemistry was positive for CD 10, CD 19, CD 22, CD 24, CD 79-a and TdT while negative for surface immunoglobulin. At the time of presentation his peripheral blood smear and bone marrow examination was negative for malignant cells. Sanctuary sites including central nervous system and testicles were not involved. So patient was diagnosed as ALC. He was managed as per BFM relapse protocol for ALL. Skin lesions disappeared completely after 2 weeks of treatment. Unfortunately patient developed bone marrow and testicular relapse after 2 months. He was given testicular radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy for relapsed ALL. But his marrow was showing persistent activity and he expired after 4 months.

Successful Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation of a Patient Suffering from Type II Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemia A Rare Case Report from Western India.

The most frequent form of congenital dyserythropoiesis (CDA) is congenital dyserythropoietic anemia II (CDA II). CDA II is a rare genetic anemia in humans, inherited in an autosomally recessive mode, characterized by hepatosplenomegaly normocytic anemia and hemolytic jaundice. Patients are usually transfusion-independent except in severe type. We are here reporting a case of severe transfusion-dependent type II congenital dyserythropoietic anemia in a 5-year-old patient who has undergone allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) at our bone marrow transplantation centre. Patient has had up until now more than 14 mL/kg/month of packed cell volume (PCV), which he required every 15 to 20 days to maintain his hemoglobin of 10 gm/dL and hematocrit of 30%. His pre-HSCT serum ferritin was 1500 ng/mL and he was on iron chelating therapy. Donor was HLA identical sibling (younger brother). The preparative regimen used was busulfan, cyclophosphamide, and antithymocyte globulin (Thymoglobulin). Cyclosporine and short-term methotrexate were used for graft versus host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. Engraftment of donor cells was quick and the posttransplant course was uneventful. The patient is presently alive and doing well and he has been transfusion-independent for the past 33 months after HSCT.

Angiogenin up-regulation correlates with adverse clinicopathological and biological factors, increased microvascular density and poor patient outcome in neuroblastomas.

AIMS: As new biomarkers are urgently needed to identify children with high-risk neuroblastoma (NB), we studied the contribution of angiogenin (ANG) to angiogenesis and its association with clinicopathological and biological features and patient outcome in NB. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ninety NBs and 12 ganglioneuromas (GNs) were immunostained for ANG and CD31. ANG expression in NB tumoral cells (ANG scores) and vessels [ANG microvascular density (MVD)] and total MVD (CD31 MVD) were determined. The ANG score was significantly greater in NBs than in GNs (P = 0.015) and in NBs from children with stage 4 tumours, high-risk disease, unfavourable pathology (P < 0.001 for each), MYCN amplification (P = 0.003), and 1p deletion (P = 0.002). ANG scores correlated with ANG MVD and CD31 MVD (P < 0.001 for each). Total ANG and CD31 protein levels, measured with a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, were highly correlated (P = 0.003). High ANG scores were associated with decreased overall and event-free survival (log-rank test, P = 0.025 and P = 0.018, respectively). High ANG MVD was associated with decreased overall and event-free survival (log-rank test, P = 0.009 and P = 0.026, respectively). High CD31 MVD was associated with decreased event-free survival (P = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS: The strong correlation of ANG up-regulation with total MVD and adverse clinicopathological and biological factors indicates that ANG supports growth and progression in NB.