Cerebral echinococcosis, a pediatric disease: report of two cases with one successful five-year follow-up

Two cases of cerebral echinococcosis in children emphasize the need to consider the Echinococcus in the differential diagnosis of children with CNS signs and symptoms. One patient died because of delay in seeking medical attention. The other is now a 22-year-old college student with no evidence of recurrence more than five years after removal of Echinococcus cysts from both brain and liver. The newer modalities available for diagnosis are discussed. Therapy with mebendazole is reviewed; this relatively new, highly effective anthelmintic is well tolerated and has been apparently highly effective in a small number of cases.

Busulfan lung

An uncommon, but lethal, toxic side effect of busulfan (Myleran) therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia is pulmonary fibrosis. A 16-month-old male infant treated for 11 months with busulfan for chronic myelogenous leukemia is, we believe, the first case of "busulfan lung" in the pediatric age group to be reported. Progressive roentgenographic changes in the lung of a diffuse intra-alveolar and interstitial pattern were noted. The patient died after a four-day episode of cough, fever, and progressive dyspnea. At autopsy, no evidence of infection or leukemic infiltrates were seen in the lungs. Characteristic histologic findings as a result of busulfan therapy were observed in the lung and pancreas.