Management of Kasabach-Merritt syndrome in a newborn
Nİ Atay*, A Cerrah Celayir*, H Akay**, T Yavuz***, G Tokuç****
*Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Children’s Training and Research Hospital, Department of Pediatric Surgery
**Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Children's Training and Research Hospital, Department of Radiology
***Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Children's Training and Research Hospital, Department of Pediatric Cardiology
****Marmara University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Oncology
Backgraund and Aim: Giant vasculer tumors of liver like as hemangioma or hemangioendothelioma is a very rare vascular tumor found almost exclusively in prenatal period. Although the malignant trasformation is practically in existent in these tumors it could be aggressive behavior especially in association with a life-threatening thrombocytopenia and consumptive coagulopathy known as Kasabach-Merritt syndrome. Herein, the management of Kasabach-Merritt syndrome due to giant hepatic hemangiomas in a newborn is presented with the current evidence concernings.
Case Report: A 2-day-old male infant with severe abdominal distention and respiratuary distress entered our surgical intensive care unit. Patient was entubated and a nasogastric decompretion was executed, total parenteral nutrition was begun. First abdominal US revealed giant tumor in the left liver lobe. Magnetic Resonans Imaginations of the abdomen showed multiple vascular lesions in the liver, one of them was huge vascular lesion arising from the left lobe that fill the entire abdominal cavity.Patient was consultated with a pediatric cardiolog and a pediatric oncolog. Systemic corticosteroid including methylprednisolone was injected intravenously associated with an propranolol treatment. This approach was brought about a response thetreatment of Kasabach-Merritt syndrome, which was maintained long enough to provide with an opportunity to excise the tumor. Tumor size was smaller, but declined Kasabach-Merritt syndrome; and desicion of the surgical resection was given ; but 20 days old baby was refered another center for further treatment with his parents wishes. It was learned that hemangioma surgically excised successfully.
Conclusions: A standard guideline of thetreatment in vascular tumors has not been established until to now ; treatment remains controversial. Systemic corticosteroid including methylprednisolone injected intravenously and propranolol theraphy are efective and safe method in taking control and treatment of the Kasabach-Merritt syndrome for hemodynamic stabilization and /or tumor shrinkage until surgical excision of giant vascular tumors.
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