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In order to improve the dismal prognosis of patients younger than 4 years old with medulloblastoma and supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors (stPNET) seven young children were treated with high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and autologous stem cell rescue in our center.All patients underwent surgical debulking and standard chemotherapy. None of them received irradiation. The HDCT included busulfan 16 mg/kg, orally over 4 days (from days −5 to −2) in 6 hourly divided doses, and melphalan at a dose of 140 mg/m2 given by intravenous infusion over 5 min on day −1. Three patients additionally received thiotepa 250 mg/m2 given by intravenous infusion daily over 2 days (from day −2 to −1) and two patients additionally received topotecan 2 mg/m2 given by intravenous infusion daily over 30 min for 5 days (from day −11 to −7).Patients' stem cells were mobilized with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor at a dose of 12 ug/kg twice daily subcutaneously for four consecutive days. Cryopreserved peripheral blood progenitor cells were reinfused 48 h after completion of chemotherapy.With a median follow-up of 21 months (range 5–64) five complete responses were observed; one patient had partial response and one had stable disease. There was no treatment-related mortality. The 2 year event-free survival was 71.43±17%.Therefore we conclude that HDCT as consolidation regimen may improve the cure rates in very young children with medulloblastoma/stPNET avoiding long-term sequelae of radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haemophilic pseudotumour is a rare complication of haemophilia. Few cases of iliac haemophilic pseudotumour have been reported in the literature. These tumours can act as a focus for infection and cause cutaneous fistulas. When they present perforations and infections of endogenous origin their course is usually fatal. Suitable treatment has been investigated on numerous occasions, most of the literature agreeing that the only curative treatment is surgical resection. We present a case of haemophilic pseudotumour of the iliac and caecum with cutaneous fistulas, with a septic process of endogenous origin. It was treated with surgical resection after performing arterial embolization to reduce the vascularization of the pseudotumour, thereby reducing its size and the risk of bleeding complications during surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]