title: Pruritus in pediatric non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: A two-year-old girl presented with a 3-month history of generalized pruritus. One week before hospitalization she developed a superior vena cava syndrome and obstruction of the upper airways. Clinical and laboratory findings included generalized lymphadenopathy, a mediastinal mass compressing the tracheal lumen to the point of near closure, hepatomegaly and moderate eosinophilia. The diagnosis of an anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) was made by the histologic examination of a mediastinal lymph node. The history of generalized pruritus without diagnostic skin lesions was as uncommon as age at presentation. In conclusion, this case illustrates that generalized pruritus in a toddler can be an early sign of ALCL.
authors.affiliation: St. Anna Children's Hospital, Kinderspitalgasse 6, 1090 Vienna, Austria. bandi.vecsei@gmx.de
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vècsei
authors.forename: Andishe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Attarbaschi
authors.forename: Uta
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Krammer
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gadner
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D011537:Pruritus / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D013479:Superior Vena Cava Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis