title: Hepatic veno-occlusive disease during chemotherapy for nephroblastoma: successful and safe treatment with defibrotide. Report of a clinical case.
abstract: Here we report a case of administration of defibrotide in an 11 months old infant with hepatic veno-occlusive disease during chemotherapy for nephroblastoma. He presented with abdominal distension, a weight gain of 15%, ascites, hepatomegaly with right upper quadrant pain, thrombocytopenia and hypertransaminasemia. Despite therapy, his clinical conditions aggravated, and, therefore intravenous administration of defibrotide on a compassionate-use basis was started. The dosage was 15 mg/kg/day in 4 divided doses, which was increased gradually (in 3 days) to 40 mg/kg/day in 4 divided doses. Defibrotide proved safe and effective in resolving clinical symptoms and normalizing serological findings in the syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Oncology-Hematology, Department of Biomedicine in Childhood, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cecinati
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Leonardis
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.forename: Giampaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arcamone
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Mattia
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Santoro
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D057176:Compassionate Use Trials; D006504:Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011089:Polydeoxyribonucleotides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009396:Wilms Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011089:Polydeoxyribonucleotides; C036901:defibrotide