title: All-trans retinoic acid and short-time, high-dose cytarabine in two children with acute promyelocytic leukemia.
abstract: We report on two girls, 3 and 13 years old, with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) who were successfully treated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) 45 mg/m2/day. "Retinoic acid syndrome" was prevented with short-time treatment of high dose (4 x 1.5 g/m2) cytarabine. This regimen was well tolerated, although both children were critically ill. They achieved a complete remission confirmed by light microscopy, but reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction remained positive after ATRA, underlining the need of further chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zoubek
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tulzer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koller
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Krieger
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gadner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016638:Critical Illness; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007964:Leukocytosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D012074:Remission Induction; D013577:Syndrome; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003561:Cytarabine; D014212:Tretinoin