Acute and chronic hepatitis in childhood leukemia: a multicentric study from the Italian Pediatric Cooperative Group for Therapy of Acute Leukemia (AIL-AIEOP).

The incidence of acute and chronic liver damage and its relation to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was evaluated in 164 consecutive children with acute leukemia seen in ten Italian hemato-pediatric units. Thirteen out of 164 children (7.9%) had acute hepatitis (AH) during treatment, while 8/90 (8.8%) showed an acute exacerbation of liver damage within 6 months after therapy withdrawal. Seven of the 13 children with AH while on therapy were HBsAg positive. In 12/13 cases, liver disease progressed to chronicity. Five of eight children who developed AH after completion of treatment were HBsAg positive. Eighty-nine patients (54.2%) developed biochemical evidence of chronic hepatitis during t…

A methodology to improve a public transport system

MALIGNANT GERM CELL TUMOURS in CHILDHOOD: the Italian Experience

Malignant Germ Cell Tumours (MGCT) account approximately 3% of all malignancies in the paediatric age group. Although many of them are curable, their natural history, staging, systems and optimal treatment still need to be better defined. Tha data of an Italian co-operative study are reported here