title: Gastric adenocarcinoma presenting as thrombotic microangiopathy in a 14-year-old girl.
abstract: Gastric adenocarcinoma is rare in childhood and often presents with disseminated malignancy at diagnosis due to aspecific symptoms leading to delay in diagnosis. A familial predisposition for gastrointestinal cancer is suggested for the development of this early-onset adenocarcinoma. We report the case of a 14-year-old girl with a familial history of colorectal, liver, and breast cancers affected by metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma, who first presented with thrombotic microangiopathy. Thrombotic microangiopathy as first clinical presentation of metastatic gastric cancer is an exceptional event in childhood and represents a challenge for pediatricians. Gastric adenocarcinoma should be suspected in young patients with a significant familial history and also in the absence of initial specific signs, so as to provide correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Oncology Division, Catholic University, A. Gemelli Hospital, Rome, Italy. rizzo.dany@libero.it
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arlotta
authors.forename: Palma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maurizi
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruggiero
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Attinà
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riccardi
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000293:Adolescent; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D057049:Thrombotic Microangiopathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*