title: Dramatic resolution of pleural effusion in children with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia following short-course high-dose methylprednisolone.
abstract: High-dose methylprednisolone (HDMP) which can induce--differentiation and -apoptosis of myeloid leukemic cells has been shown to be very effective in the treatment of extramedullary infiltration (EMI) of children with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). In the present study 2 children with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) who had pleural effusions were given a single daily dose of oral methylprednisolone (20 mg/kg or 30 mg/kg). In addition to dramatic improvement of respiratory symptoms, pleural effusions disappeared in four days in both patients possibly due to apoptotic cell death induced by HDMP treatment. Further studies are needed to determine whether high-dose corticosteroids are also effective on the resolution of pleural effusions associated with other malignant disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology, Ihsan, Dogramaci Children's Hospital, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hiçsönmez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cetin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tunç
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tuncer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gümrük
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yenicesu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015477:Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D008775:Methylprednisolone