1.Transfusion-dependent anaemia of undetermined origin: a distinctive syndrome in paediatric medical tourism.
Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore 2012;41(7):305-308
INTRODUCTIONThe underlying diagnosis of severe anaemic illnesses in children may not be easy to identify at times, especially when regular blood transfusion has been started.
MATERIALS AND METHODSInternational children patients attending a haematology clinic for diagnostic evaluation were identified retrospectively if they had to receive repeated blood transfusions with an undiagnosed illness or an incorrect diagnosis. Their demographic data, presenting features, and eventual diagnosis were described.
RESULTSTwelve children including 7 boys were enrolled from March 2007 to August 2011. Five came from Vietnam; 2 each came from Bangladesh and Indonesia; and 1 each from Hong Kong, Myanmar, and Ukraine. Their illnesses started at a mean age of 1.5 years (0.1 to 6.6) and they had been receiving blood transfusion for a mean duration of 2.5 years (0.1 to 9.9) years prior to the evaluation. Thalassemia major was the fi rst diagnosis in 5 cases; one had been treated for autoimmune haemolytic anaemia while the rest had not been given a diagnosis. After the evaluation, 4 children were diagnosed with Diamond Blackfan anaemia, 3 were diagnosed with hereditary spherocytosis, and one each with hereditary pyropoikilocytosis, congenital sideroblastic anaemia, congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, transient erythroblastopenia of childhood, and autoimmune myelofibrosis associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection.
CONCLUSIONA definitive diagnosis can be identified in this cohort of children on medical tourism with severe anaemic illnesses requiring repeated transfusions with diagnostic approaches that circumvent the interference of transfused cells.
Anemia ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Anemia, Diamond-Blackfan ; diagnosis ; Blood Transfusion ; Child ; Child Health Services ; Child, Preschool ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Medical Tourism ; Retrospective Studies ; Spherocytosis, Hereditary ; diagnosis
2.Viva-Asia Blood and Marrow Transplantation Groups - A Survey of Consortium Activity over a 12-year Period (2000 to 2011).
Ah Moy TAN ; Christina HA ; Chun Fu LI ; Godfrey Cf CHAN ; Vincent LEE ; Poh Lin TAN ; Suradej HONGENG ; Kleebsabai SANPAKIT ; Anselm C LEE ; Hai Peng LIN ; Maria Luz Uy El ROSARIO ; Jing CHEN
Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore 2016;45(3):106-109
Anemia, Aplastic
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therapy
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Bone Marrow Transplantation
;
statistics & numerical data
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China
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Cooperative Behavior
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Family
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Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
;
statistics & numerical data
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Hemoglobinopathies
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therapy
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Hong Kong
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Humans
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Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
;
therapy
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Leukemia
;
therapy
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Lymphoma
;
therapy
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Malaysia
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Myelodysplastic Syndromes
;
therapy
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Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation
;
statistics & numerical data
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Philippines
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Singapore
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Thailand
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Tissue Donors
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statistics & numerical data
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Transplantation, Autologous
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statistics & numerical data
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Transplantation, Homologous
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statistics & numerical data