Renal size as a Prognostic Factor in Childhood Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

ABSTRACT

The kidney size is of special interest during the diagnostic work up of acute lymphocytic leukemia. But is still uncertain whether a finding of kidney enlargement at presentation has long-term prognostic value. We therefore reviewed the kidney size in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia by abdominal ultrasonograms at the time of diagnosis (n=54) and exmined if there was any statistical significance between the kidney size and prognostic parameters and later outcome. The following results were obtained 1) Among the patients whose kidney size was enlarged over 4SD from the normal, hepatomegaly in 3 cases (20%), splenomegaly in 3 cases (20%), mediastinal widening in 2 cases (13%) were noted. The interrelation between kidney size and infiltration of extramedullary system had no statistical significance. 2) Among the patients whose kidney size was enlarged over 4SD from the normal, patients under age 2 and over age 10 in 5 cases (33%), male in 8 cases (53%), involvement of central nervous system in 1 cases (7%), WBC count over 100x10E9/L in 3 cases (20%), Hb over 10 g/dl in 3 cases (20%) and platelet count below 100x10E9/L in 3 cases (20%) were noted. There was no statistical significance between kidney size and infiltration of extramedullary system. 3) Two Year survival rate based upon kidney size was; 95% in the group below 2SD, 79% between 2SD and 4SD, 59% over 4SD. And 2 Year event free survival rate was 71%, 56% and 58 respectively. In conclusion, the kidney size in childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia at the time of diagnosis influences the late outcome, but it is not a meaningful prognostic parameters.