Pulmonary artery hypertension is a common cardiovascular complication in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Inhaled iloprost is used as a therapeutic option in pulmonary hypertension, especially in adults. There have been but a few reports on the use of iloprost for neonates and infants. We report the case of a 5 month-old-male infant who received neonatal intensive care for 4 months due to respiratory distress syndrome and prematurity, during which he developed bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Echocardiography showed severe pulmonary hypertension. The initial treatment included respiratory support with high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV); however, his clinical condition did not improve. Inhaled iloprost with sildenafil, an oral phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor, was thus used. With the administration of iloprost and sildenafil, his condition improved and he was weaned from oxygen. Our clinical experience suggests that iloprost is a promising therapy for pulmonary hypertension, especially when inhaled nitric oxide is unavailable.
Adult ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 5 ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Iloprost ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Nitric Oxide ; Oxygen ; Piperazines ; Pulmonary Artery ; Purines ; Sulfones ; Ventilation ; Sildenafil Citrate

Maternal diabetes is known to have teratogenic effects which increase the risk for congenital anomalies, such as caudal dysplasia, cardiac defects, hydronephrosis, and small left colon syndrome. Infants of diabetic mothers have a 10-fold higher frequency of anomalies in the central nervous system and a 5-fold higher frequency of congenital heart defects. However, jejunal atresia combined with multiple anomalies of the face, ears, and hands has rarely been reported. Herein we report a neonate born to a diabetic mother, who had hemifacial microsomia, displacement of the lacrimal ducts, polydactyly of the right hand, microtia of the right ear and proximal jejunal atresia presenting as bile regurgitation on the 1st day of life.
Bile ; Central Nervous System ; Colon ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Diabetes, Gestational ; Displacement (Psychology) ; Ear ; Facial Asymmetry ; Female ; Hand ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Intestinal Atresia ; Mothers ; Polydactyly ; Pregnancy

PURPOSE: Paclitaxel is a very effective agent in the treatment of breast cancer. Samyang Corporation has developed its own process to produce paclitaxel in a large volume using plant cell culture technology. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Genexol(R) in patients with metastatic breast cancer who have failed to respond to standard therapy, we performed a prospective, multi- center phase II clinical trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with metastatic breast cancer were included in this study. Enrollees were required to have histologically confirmed breast cancer with bidimensionally measurable metastatic disease. Genexol(R) was administered at 175 mg/m2 as a 3-hour intravenous infusion every 3 weeks. All patients were premedicated with hydrocortisone, pheniramine maleate, and H2 blocker 30 minutes prior to paclitaxel. We planned to administer at least 4 courses of paclitaxel unless there was disease progression or unacceptable toxicity and to continue treatment up to a total of 6 courses in cases of objective response following 4 courses. RESULTS: The median duration of follow-up was 8.9 (2.07~13.7) months. Forty-five patients were registered and 43 were eligible. The performance status of patients was ECOG 0~1 in 39 patients (90.7%) and 2 in 4 (9.3%). The location of metastases at the start of the study were the lung (15 patients), liver (8 patients), lymph nodes (22 patients), and other (7 patients). Among the 40 evaluable patients, 15 patients obtained partial responses (PRs) (37.5%, 95% CI: 22.5~52.5%). The median duration of response was 11.67 (4.1~11.7) months and the median time to progression was 7.73 (2.8~11.7) months. The median survival time was not reached at 13.7 months, and the overall survival rate at 13.7 months was 70.1%. The hematologic toxicity was primarily neutropenia with grade 3 or 4 in 10 patients (23.3%). The grade 3 or 4 non-hematologic toxicities included alopecia (17, 39.5%), myalgia (2, 4.7%), neuropathy (2, 4.7%), and pruritus (1, 2.3%). Mild hypersensitivity reaction was observed in 2 patients, although it did not cause withdrawal of the test drug. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the Genexol injection is an effective anticancer formulation for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer and toxicity is acceptable.
Alopecia ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Disease Progression ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hypersensitivity ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Liver ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Myalgia ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neutropenia ; Paclitaxel ; Pheniramine ; Plant Cells ; Prospective Studies ; Pruritus ; Survival Rate