To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of extracranial malignant rhabdoid tumor (eMRT) in children, and to provide a reference for the clinical treatment of this disease.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of children with head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and to summarize the mid-long term efficacy of Beijing Children′s Hospital Rhabdomyosarcoma 2006 (BCH-RMS-2006) regimen and China Children′s Cancer Group Rhabdomyosarcoma 2016 (CCCG-RMS-2016) regimen.Methods:A retrospective cohort study. Clinical data of 137 children with newly diagnosed head and neck RMS at Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University from March 2013 to December 2021 were collected. Clinical characteristic of patients at disease onset and the therapeutic effects of patients treated with the BCH-RMS-2006 and CCCG-RMS-2016 regimens were compared. The treatments and outcomes of patients with recurrence were also summarized. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method, and Log-Rank test was used for comparison of survival rates between groups.Results:Among 137 patients, there were 80 males (58.4%) and 57 females (41.6%), the age of disease onset was 59 (34, 97) months. The primary site in the orbital, non-orbital non-parameningeal, and parameningeal area were 10 (7.3%), 47 (34.3%), and 80 (58.4%), respectively. Of all patients, 32 cases (23.4%) were treated with the BCH-RMS-2006 regimen and 105 (76.6%) cases were treated with the CCCG-RMS-2016 regimen. The follow-up time for the whole patients was 46 (20, 72) months, and the 5-year progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates for the whole children were (60.4±4.4)% and (69.3±4.0)%, respectively. The 5-year OS rate was higher in the CCCG-RMS-2016 group than in BCH-RMS-2006 group ((73.0±4.5)% vs. (56.6±4.4)%, χ2=4.57, P=0.029). For the parameningeal group, the 5-year OS rate was higher in the CCCG-RMS-2016 group (61 cases) than in BCH-RMS-2006 group (19 cases) ((57.3±7.6)% vs. (32.7±11.8)%, χ2=4.64, P=0.031). For the group with meningeal invasion risk factors, the 5-year OS rate was higher in the CCCG-RMS-2016 group (54 cases) than in BCH-RMS-2006 group (15 cases) ((57.7±7.7)% vs. (30.0±12.3)%, χ2=4.76, P=0.029). Among the 10 cases of orbital RMS, there was no recurrence. In the non-orbital non-parameningeal RMS group (47 cases), there were 13 (27.6%) recurrences, after re-treatment, 7 cases survived. In the parameningeal RMS group (80 cases), there were 40 (50.0%) recurrences, with only 7 cases surviving after re-treatment. Conclusions:The overall prognosis for patients with orbital and non-orbital non-parameningeal RMS is good. However, children with parameningeal RMS have a high recurrence rate, and the effectiveness of re-treatment after recurrence is poor. Compared with the BCH-RMS-2006 regimen, the CCCG-RMS-2016 regimen can improve the treatment efficacy of RMS in the meningeal region.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NB) patients with skeletal metastasis.Methods:The clinical features of 336 newly treated HR-NB patients with skeletal metastases admitted to the Department of Medical Oncology of Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2007 to December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively.Kaplan-Meier method was used for the survival analysis, and Log- Rank test was used for univariate prognosis analysis.The Cox model was used to analyze the multifactorial prognostic analysis. Results:A total of 336 HR-NB patients were recruited, involving 188 males and 148 females with the median age of onset of at 43 (4-148) months.Skeletal metastases affected the viscerocranium (89 cases, 26.5%), neurocranium (193 cases, 57.4%), vertebrae (298 cases, 88.7%), sternum and ribs (183 cases, 54.5%), pelvis (270 cases, 80.4%), upper limbs (182 cases, 54.2%) and lower limbs (240 cases, 71.4%). The 5-year event-free survival (EFS) rate and overall survival (OS) rate were (30.4±2.7)% and (41.3±2.9)%, respectively.Univariate analysis showed a significantly lower 5-year OS rate in skeletal metastatic HR-NB patients with poor prognostic classification, the morphology of neuroblastoma (stroma-poor) and ganglioneuroblastoma (intermixed), high index of mitosis-karyorrhexis index, lactate dehydrogenase≥587 U/L, serum ferritin≥92 μg/L, MYCN amplification and 1p loss of heterozygosity, and metastases in the viscerocranium, neurocranium, vertebrae, sternum and ribs, pelvis, upper limbs and lower limbs (all P<0.05). The 5-year OS rate of HR-NB patients with all 7 regions of skeletal metastases was only (14.2±5.9)%, which was significantly lower than that in patients with a single region metastasis or multi-region metastases[(66.0±10.2)% vs.(43.6±3.4)%, χ2=45.722, P<0.05]. Cox multifactorial analysis showed that MYCN amplification ( HR=4.165, 95% CI: 2.356-7.363) and the viscerocranium metastasis ( HR=2.560, 95% CI: 1.519-4.315) were the independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of HR-NB patients with skeletal metastases (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The prognosis is extremely poor in HR-NB patients with multiple skeletal metastases at the initial diagnosis.The amplification of MYCN and the viscerocranium metastasis are the poor prognostic factors for HR-NB patients with skeletal metastases.

Objective:To observe and analyze the clinical characteristics of children who died of intraocular retinoblastoma (RB).Methods:A retrospective clinical study. Fourteen children (23 eyes) with intraocular RB who died after receiving treatment in Beijing Children's Hospital from 2009 to 2017 were included in the study. Among the children, there were 7 males (10 eyes) and 7 females (13 eyes); 5 had unilateral and 9 had bilateral tumor. Age were 17.2±15.5 months. All children underwent RetCam examination. RB was staged according to the international intraocular RB classify. Among the 23 eyes, 1 eye was in stage B, 2 eyes were in stage C, 12 eyes in stage D, and 8 eyes in stage E. Treatment methods included a systemic (vincristine, etoposide and carboplatin) chemotherapy (VEC chemotherapy), enucleation surgery, and vitrectomy. The basic conditions including age, time of diagnosis, pathological diagnosis, treatment and main causes of death were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Among the 14 cases, the first symptom was leukemia in 12 cases, red eye in 1 case, and squintin in 1 case. Systemic VEC chemotherapy was used for 1-6 courses of treatment; 5 cases were enucleated, 3 cases underwent histopathological examination; 3 cases were treated with vitrectomy. Among the 3 cases who underwent histopathological examination, the sclera and optic nerve, optic nerve and optic disc were invasted respectively. Seven patients died of tumor metastasis and/or intracranial lesions (50.0%, 7/14); the median survival time was 19 months. Four patients died of treatment (28.6%, 4/14), including 3 patients died of chemotherapy-related side effects, and 1 died of organ failure after enucleation surgery (7.1%); the median survival time was 3.5 months. Early abandonment of treatment died in 3 cases (21.4%, 3/14); the median survival time was 15 months.Conclusion:Intracranial metastasis is the main cause of death in children with intraocular RB.

Objective:To explore the clinical significance of the MYCN gene, PHOX2B gene and plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in risk stratification and predicting the prognosis of high-risk neuroblastoma (NB). Methods:This was a prospective study involving 94 high-risk NB children admitted to Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University from August 2017 to December 2018.Relative levels of MYCN and PHOX2B and cfDNA at diagnosis, and 4 and 6 cycles of chemotherapy were detected, and their differences were compared by the Chi- square test.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to explore their prognostic potential in high-risk NB. Results:Among the 94 high-risk NB children, 14 cases (14.9%) had MYCN amplification, 76 cases (80.8%) had positive expression of PHOX2B and 56 cases (59.6%) had cfDNA level higher than 100 μg/L.The proportion of high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH, ≥1 500 U/L) level in the MYCN gene amplification group (6/14 cases) was higher than that in the normal group (9/80 cases) ( P=0.009). The proportion of multi-site metastasis (54/76 cases) and high neuron specific enolase (NSE) level (NSE≥370 μg/L, 37/76 cases) in PHOX2B positive group were significantly higher than those in the negative group (5/14 cases, 2/14 cases) ( P=0.015, 0.020). The proportion of high LDH and high NSE in high cfDNA concentration (≥229.6 μg/L)group (13/37 cases, 28/37 cases) were significantly higher than those in low cfDNA concentration group (2/48 cases, 10/48 cases) (all P<0.001). With the decreased tumor burden during the treatment, the copy number of PHOX2B gene and cfDNA level were significantly lower than those at the initial diagnosis [0 (0-719.6) copies vs.1 723.5 (0-186 000.0) copies; 19.0 (1.1-225.5) μg/L vs.200.6 (8.0-5 247.4) μg/L, all P<0.001]. The 2-year event-free survival (EFS) rate of the MYCN gene amplification group was significantly lower than that of the normal group[(33.3±13.1)% vs.(58.5±7.1)%, P=0.020]. The 2-year EFS rate of PHOX2B positive group was significantly lower than that of the negative group[(47.9±7.1)% vs.(79.1±11.1)%, P=0.043]. EFS rate in high cfDNA concentration group was significantly lower than that in cfDNA low concentration group[(38.6±9.8)% vs.( 71.7±8.2)%, P=0.001]. After 6 cycles of chemotherapy, EFS rate in the PHOX2B positive group was significantly lower than that in the negative group [(16.7±14.4)% vs.( 60.6±6.6)%, P=0.014]; which was significantly lower in the Metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) positive group than that of the negative group[(35.2±11.7)% vs.(65.8±7.1)%, P=0.037]. The MYCN gene and cfDNA concentration were not correlated with the prognosis of high-risk NB.Survival analysis of the combination of PHOX2B and MYCN gene ( PHOX2B+ /MIBG + , PHOX2B+ or MIBG + , PHOX2B-/MIBG -) showed a significant difference in the survival among three groups[0 vs.(53.6±1.2)% vs.(65.5±7.4)%, P=0.003]. Conclusions:The MYCN and PHOX2B gene and cfDNA concentration are of significance in risk stratification and predicting the prognosis of high-risk NB.Compared with the MYCN gene and cfDNA concentration, the PHOX2B gene is more suitable for monitoring the curative effect of chemotherapy on high-risk NB.A combined analysis of PHOX2B gene and MIBG before treatment can be more accurate in evaluating the treatment effect and residual lesions.

Objective:To summarize the clinical features of neuroblastoma (NB) with bone metastasis in infants and the prognostic factors.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 32 patients aged ≤12 months who were enrolled in Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2010 to December 2019 and had imaging findings suggesting signs of distant bone metastasis.The control group was included NB children, aged ≤12 months, who were admitted to Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University during the same period, without signs of distant bone destruction.The clinical manifestations and auxiliary examinations of infants with bone metastasis were summarized, and the efficacy evaluation and survival analysis of infants with regular treatment and follow-up were conducted until December 31, 2020. Kaplan- Meier survival analysis was used for prognostic analysis, and Log Rank test was used for univariate prognostic analysis. Results:There were 32 NB infants with bone metastases, involving 12 males (37.5%) and 20 females (62.5%), accounting for 16.0% (32/200 cases) of infants diagnosed with NB du-ring the same period.The median age of onset was 9 (4.5-12.0) months.The main primary site included the retroperitoneal and adrenal region in 24 cases(75.0%) and mediastinum in 3 cases (9.4%). Among the 32 cases, 14 cases (43.8%) had simple bone metastasis, 19 cases (59.4%) had distant lymph nodes, 18 cases (56.3%) had bone marrow, and 3 cases (9.4%) had intracranial and meningeal metastasis.Bone metastasis mainly occurred in the skull, with 11 cases of single bone metastases and the remaining with 2 or more bone metastases.Compared with 168 NB infants without bone metastasis, the prognosis of those with bone metastasis was significantly worse [3-year overall survival(OS) rate 97.6% vs.82.7%, P=0.001]. Univariate analysis showed that the prognosis of NB children with bone marrow metastasis, meningeal and intracranial metastasis, MYCN gene amplification, and high-risk group was poor (all P<0.05). Two patients returned to the local hospital for treatment after diagnosis.A total of 30 children were recruited for efficacy evaluation and prognostic analysis.Twenty-nine children underwent surgery, of which 6 cases received surgery before chemotherapy and 23 cases received surgery after chemotherapy.One case received chemotherapy only.The mean course of chemotherapy was 6.2 (4-13) times.One case was treated with radiotherapy, 1 case was treated with Metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) therapy, and 1 case was treated with stem cell transplantation.A total of 18 cases (62.1%) event-free survived, and 12 cases (40.0%) had a mean event at 7 (1.5-32.0) months.Among them, 7 cases survived and 5 cases died (16.7%). The expected 3-year event-free survival rate and OS rate were 57.1% and 82.7%, respectively. Conclusions:The most common sites of infant NB metastasis are bone and bone marrow, and the most common sites of bone metastasis are skull.Infants with bone metastasis had a worse prognosis than those without bone metastasis, and infants with bone and bone marrow metastasis had a worse prognosis than infants with single bone metastasis.

Objective:To study the characteristics and related factors of neonatal intestinal necrosis caused by midgut volvulus.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of neonates with midgut volvulus who were admitted to Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, from January 2009 to December 2019 and confirmed by surgery. The cases with intestinal necrosis belong to the intestinal necrosis group, and those without intestinal necrosis, the non-intestinal necrosis group which was randomly sampled at a ratio of about 4∶1 to the number of cases in the intestinal necrosis group. The two groups were compared in terms of personal history, age of onset, initial symptoms, vital signs within 2 h after admission, time from symptom onset to operation, clinical outcome, laboratory indicators within 2 h after admission, etc. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the related factors of intestinal necrosis in midgut volvulus. The effective warning indexes are screened by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:(1) Among 231 cases of midgut volvulus, 21 cases (9.1%, 21/231) had intestinal necrosis at the time of operation, 87 cases were included in the non-intestinal necrosis group. (2) The levels of heart rate within 2 h after admission, mean arterial pressure, WBC, C reactive protein (CRP), blood glucose and potassium in intestinal necrosis group were significantly higher than those in non-intestinal necrosis group ( P<0.05). Admission days of age, hemoglobin, serum albumin, serum sodium, pH and BE levels were significantly lower than those in the group without intestinal necrosis ( P<0.05). (3) In the multivariate analysis, increased heart rate, mean arterial pressure, serum CRP, and decreased serum sodium, serum albumin, and pH levels were predictors related to intestinal necrosis in patients with midgut volvulus. (4) The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of CRP was 0.883, the cutoff value was 9.88 mg/L, the sensitivity was 76.2%, and the specificity was 94.3%. The ROC curve of serum albumin was 0.792, the cut-off value was 36.65 g/L, the sensitivity was 70.1%, and the specificity was 94.3%. Conclusions:Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, increased CRP, decreased serum sodium, serum albumin and pH are helpful to predict whether intestinal necrosis occurs in midgut volvulus, and CRP > 9.88 mg/L and serum albumin < 36.65 g/L are likely warning indicators.

Objective:To summarize the causes of death and severe complication in the early diagnosis of children with neuroblastoma (NB), and to analyze the relative factors of early death of children with NB, so as to raise awareness and reduce early mortality by early detection and early intervention.Methods:Patients with newly diagnosed NB in the Hematology Oncology Center of Beijing Children′s Hospital from April 2007 to December 2017 were included consecutively, and those died within 1 month after diagnosis were retrospectively analyzed.The general data of patients, immediate causes of death, complications, time elapsed between death and diagnosis, whether to receive chemotherapy and other information were collected.Results:A total of 654 cases were included for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up, 31 cases of which died in early stage, accounting for 4.7% of the total.The major complication were pulmonary infection in 18 cases (58.1%) and bone marrow suppression after chemotherapy in 17 cases (54.8%), tumor rupture hemorrhage in 16 cases (51.6%), multiple organ failure in 8 cases (25.8%). Risk factor analysis of the 31 early death cases with NB was conducted.Single factor analysis: there were statistical differences between early death group and non-early death group in risk grouping ( P=0.006 6), bone marrow invasion ( P=0.020 7), site of primary tumor ( P=0.016 7), age ( P=0.003 3), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level ( P<0.000 1), neuron-specific enolase (NSE) level ( P<0.000 1), serum ferritin level ( P=0.016 0), D dimer level ( P<0.000 1), fibrinogen level ( P=0.002 7), diameter of tumor ( P<0.000 1), hemoglobin ( P<0.000 1), platelet level ( P<0.000 1), serum albumin level ( P<0.000 1). Multiple-factor analysis: age younger than 30 months, OR=2.824 (95% CI: 1.084-7.359), LDH level greater than 1 004 IU/L, OR=6.991 (95% CI: 2.135-22.887), albumin level less than 36 g/L, OR= 65.237 (95% CI: 2.024-13.545), hemoglobin level less than 92 g/L, OR=5.358 (95% CI: 2.024-13.545), platelet level less than 192×10 9/L, OR=3.554 (95% CI: 1.267-9.965). Conclusions:Strengthening vital signs detection after admission, identifying severe life-threatening complications such as rupture of tumors as early as possible, implementing symptomatic interventions such as appropriate sedation and active transfusion of blood products as early as possible after invasive operation, and transferring to intensive care unit for respiratory support when necessary are important means to avoid early death.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical effect of applying the programmed management procedure in the prenatal diagnosis of pyriform sinus fistula(PSF).Methods:This study retrospectively enrolled eight fetuses with PSF who were managed according to the programmed management procedure for prenatal diagnosis of PSF, which was established in January 2016, in Guangzhou Women's and Children's Medical Center from January 2016 to October 2020. The procedure consisted of the detection of fetal neck cysts by prenatal ultrasound followed by further confirmation by MRI, evaluation of the degree of airway compression, indwelling gastric tube after birth, no oral feeding, complement of CT/MRI, and surgical treatment within a limited time after necessary preoperative examination. The prenatal diagnosis, postnatal treatment, and follow-up were summarized using descriptive analysis.Results:(1) Prenatal: The gestational age at the first detection of cervical cysts by prenatal ultrasound was (27.1±4.1) weeks and all the cysts were located on the left side. Prenatal MRI indicated that the largest cysts was (32.0±12.2) mm in diameter, and the tracheal transit index was (10.9±2.8) mm. (2) After birth: Among the eight children, five were males and three were females, with the gestational age of (38.0±0.9) weeks and birth weight of (3 020±459) g. One case was intubated during labor due to a intrauterine tracheal transposition index of 17.4 mm. All infants were not allowed for oral feeding. The median age at CT/MRI examination was 2.5 d (1-8 d), which revealed that the maximum diameter of the cysts was (40.6±6.9) mm and visible air bubbles in all cysts. The infection index before operation was not high and the age at operation was (8.6±2.3) d. All cysts were completely removed and the PSFs were ligated at a higher position, with the average operative duration of (95.0±19.6) min, and the postoperative duration of mechanical ventilation and hospitalization of 5 h (3-71 h) and (8.8±1.0) d, respectively. No complications such as hoarseness were reported. During the follow-up of 4 to 58 months through outpatient clinic and telephone, no recurrence were observed.Conclusions:The programmed management procedure can provide guidance for postnatal treatment of patients with a prenatal diagnosis of PSF, and help to achieve a successful treatment result.

Objective:To summarize the clinical features, therapeutic effects and prognostic factors of children with extracranial malignant germ cell tumor (MGCT), and further to improve the recognition of this disease.Methods:The clinical information and therapeutic effects of children patients diagnosed with MGCT and treated in Hematology-Oncology Center in Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2008 to December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively, and the risk factors affecting the prognosis were discussed.Results:A total of 35 patients were collected in this study, including 19 girls and 16 boys, with a median age of 71 months.Forty-two point four percent (14/33 cases) of them were <3 year-old, and 39.3% (13/33 cases) of them were >6 year-old.The primary tumors were located at the gonad in 9 cases (6 cases in the ovary and 3 cases in the testis), and extragonadal sites in 26 cases (8 cases in the pelvic cavity, 8 cases in the mediastinum, and 10 cases in the sacrococcygeal region). Five cases were in stage Ⅱ, 16 cases in stage Ⅲ, and 14 cases in stage Ⅳ.Eleven cases were at intermediate risk, and 24 cases were at high risk.All children were followed up for (25.43±4.82) months, and given standard treatment of surgery plus chemotherapy.The 2-year overall survival (OS) rate and event-free survival (EFS) rate were 87.4% and 67.1%, respectively.The 2-year OS rate and EFS rate in patients at stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ (93.8% and 80.4%, respectively) were significantly higher than those at stage Ⅳ (66.7% and 45.1%, respectively) ( χ2=0.649, 0.739; P=0.021, 0.037). The 2-year EFS rate in patients with and without distant metastasis at the early stage of the disease was 43.8% and 86.9%, respectively, and the differences were significant ( χ2=0.694, P=0.028). The complete remission (CR) rates of intermediate-risk and high-risk children with tumor completely resected at the early stage of the disease were 100.0% (8/8 cases) and 71.4% (5/7 cases), respectively.The CR rate of patients who received 2-4 cycles of chemotherapy and had complete tumor resection after diagnosis by puncture was 72.7% (8/11 cases), and 40.0% (2/5 cases) of the children with incomplete resection got tumor progression.For eight patients with events, their alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels decreased slowly at the early stage of the disease and increased significantly as the disease progressed. Conclusions:The onset-age of MGCT is mainly <3 year-old and >6 year-old.The stan-dard treatment that combines surgery and chemotherapy can achieve a good overall prognosis.Incomplete surgical resection and a slow decline of AFP during treatment contribute to adverse prognosis.The outcomes of patients with tumor progression can be improved by increasing chemotherapy courses, secondary surgery and autologous stem cell transplantation.