title: Splenectomy in a child with chronic Mycobacterium avium complex infection and splenic sequestration.
abstract: Mycobacterium avium complex infections (MAC) are being reported with increasing frequency in immunocompromised patients. When these infections become resistant to standard antibiotic therapy, treatment with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) can be helpful. Pain, fever, splenic enlargement, and cytopenias caused by splenic sequestration developed during IFN-gamma treatment in a 9-year-old boy and were successfully treated by splenectomy. The development of IFN-gamma-induced splenic sequestration and cytopenias in MAC-infected patients represents a new indication for splenectomy.
authors.affiliation: Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roden
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nathanson
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Schwartzentruber
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Holland
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013156:Splenectomy; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007371:Interferon-gamma