[Pediatric Hodgkin disease in south Tunisia: a study of 23 cases].
OBJECTIVE
To discuss, through a retrospective study, the epidemiologic and anatomo-clinic aspects of paediatric Hodgkin disease (HD) in south Tunisia and to study the faisability of the French protocol MDH 90 for our patients.


METHODS
Between January 1995 and December 2000, we treated 23 children with HD. Initial work-up included clinical examination, radiological explorations (chest X ray, abdomen ultrasonography and computed tomography scan of chest, abdomen and pelvis), biological explorations (full blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum albumin, liver functions tests) and a bone marrow biopsy. Treatment was inspired from the SFOP MDH 90 protocol. Overall survivals and disease free survivals were estimated with Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test.


RESULTS
Mean age was 8.6 years (4-14 years), sex-ratio was 3.6. Histological subtypes 2 and 3 had the same frequency. Localised stages (I-II) were as frequent as advanced stages (III-IV). At the end of the treatment, the 18 evaluables patients were in complete remission. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) were 82 and 76% respectively. Localised stages and advanced stages had the same 5-year overall survival (82%). There were no statistical differences in term of OS between the different prognosis factors studied.


CONCLUSIONS
The particularity of our study was the identical frequency of the two histological subtypes 2 and 3 and of localised and advanced stages. The MDH 90 protocol is feasable for our patients with satisfactory results similar to those found in the literature.
Khanfir
A
A
Service de carcinologie médicale, CHU Habib-Bourguiba, Sfax, Tunisie. afefkhanfir@yahoo.fr
Toumi
N
N
Masmoudi
A
A
Hdiji
S
S
Elloumi
M
M
Makni
S
S
Boudaouara
T
T
Daoud
J
J
Frikha
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011859:Radiography; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014416:Tunisia