Abstract

A 2-year-old boy presented with a 21-hydroxylase deficiency, associated with advanced-stage neuroblastoma primarily occurring in the left adrenal gland. He required intensive chemotherapy with polypharmacy, followed by cord blood stem cell transplantation to treat the neuroblastoma. The precise adjustment of cortisol levels was crucial in this patient to prevent adrenal crisis. We administered hydrocortisone by continuous infusion while monitoring blood cortisol levels. As there are no published reports on the target cortisol levels for children, we used two control infants with advanced-stage neuroblastoma, also undergoing chemotherapy and cord blood stem cell transplantation, to guide the continuous hydrocortisone therapy. The daily dose of hydrocortisone during chemotherapy required about threefold the normal treatment to avoid adrenal insufficiency. Continuous hydrocortisone therapy is feasible for preventing adrenal crisis and this report may provide an effective management for hydrocortisone replacement in 21-hydroxylase-deficient patients undergoing chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.