The role of splenectomy in children with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia

Splenectomy has been performed as a palliative treatment both in adults and children with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). However, there is no report describing the course after splenectomy in children with MDS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of splenectomy on the outcome of six ch...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inTurkish journal of pediatrics Vol. 49; no. 2; pp. 154 - 157
Main Authors Ozyürek, Emel, Cetin, Mualla, Tuncer, Murat, Hiçsönmez, Gönül
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Turkey Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine 01.04.2007
Subjects
Child, Preschool
Female
Humans
Infant
Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Acute - surgery
Male
Retrospective Studies
Splenectomy
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:Splenectomy has been performed as a palliative treatment both in adults and children with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). However, there is no report describing the course after splenectomy in children with MDS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of splenectomy on the outcome of six children with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) who had no HLA identical donor and who became unresponsive to chemotherapy. Persistent thrombocytopenia, increased erythrocyte transfusion requirement and massive splenomegaly were the indications for splenectomy. Hemoglobin values and platelet counts improved following splenectomy in five out of the six patients. Erythrocyte transfusion requirements decreased and none of the patients who responded received erythrocyte transfusion for at least six months. More importantly, the quality of life improved markedly. No mortality related to splenectomy was observed. In conclusion, splenectomy may be considered as a safe supportive treatment approach for some children with JMML.
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ISSN:0041-4301