Leukemia in children - not a rare disease. But with early detection and proper conduct adequate treatment for leukemia respond well to treatment. The main problem is that the disease does not always have some characteristic manifestations, creating difficulties in diagnosis.

Causes of childhood leukemia

Leukemia - a blood disease associated with uncontrolled multiplication of immature white blood cells - blasts. Depending on which type of leukocytes (granular or nezernistye) affected, isolated myeloid and lymphoblastic leukemia. In adults often develop myelogenous leukemia in children - lymphoblastic, which in turn can be acute or chronic.

Lack of normal blood levels of mature white blood cells that perform a protective function, reduces the immune system of the child and frequent infections. A huge number of blasts in the blood and bone marrow disrupts the formation of red blood cells (anemia), and platelets responsible for blood clotting (developing increased bleeding).

Causes of the disease are not fully understood. But many experts now believe that childhood leukemia is the result of chromosomal changes that have occurred in utero. Thus, the percentage of leukemia in children born to mothers who, during pregnancy were carried out X-ray examinations, significantly higher than that of other children. Obviously, matters, and a genetic predisposition to the disease, as leukemia often occurs in children with chromosomal disorders such as Down's disease.

Contributing factors are different electromagnetic radiation (from the kitchen household appliances, computers, and so on), chemical exposure (e.g., formalin), ionizing radiation, and various viral infections.

Acute leukemia in children

In most cases, the children developed acute lymphoblastic leukemia and only 15-20% of cases - acute myelogenous leukemia.

The disease often begins with high fever, sore throat, tonsillitis. It is accompanied by headaches, pain in bones and joints, nausea, sometimes - vomiting, abdominal pain. After treatment the symptoms of the infection disappear, but the child remains lethargy, malaise, weakness, joint pain Joint pain - how to understand what is going on? . He has no appetite and is a rapid loss of body weight. Children with leukemia usually pale skin have bruises, point or more extensive bruising, bleeding gums How to prevent bleeding gums: important rules , Nosebleeds. He continues to get sick often various infections.

Sometimes, the first symptoms of leukemia Symptoms of leukemia - neoplastic diseases of the blood   children are not so noticeable, but in either case the disease progresses rapidly enough and requires timely diagnosis. At the very beginning of the disease in children increases lymph nodes Lymph nodes - what keeps our immune system Most often cervical and axillary. After the first infection, they can come back to normal, but then again there comes their now stable increase. The lymph nodes also increase in the mediastinum and abdominal cavity. Simultaneously, increased liver and spleen.

Acute leukemia in children under one year is more severe than in children from one to 10 years. In infants, the main symptoms of the disease can be intoxication: fever, vomiting, lack of appetite, and sometimes - seizures.

Chronic leukemia in children

Chronic leukemia in children usually begins unnoticed in the form of general malaise, lethargy, weakness, headaches, joint pain, frequent infections. Symptoms of leukemia in children of school age - is lagging behind in their studies, sleepiness in class and insomnia at night, frequent headaches, dizziness.

Gradually appear enlarged lymph nodes (cervical, axillary, inguinal), pale skin, bleeding gums, nosebleeds, bruising and bruising on the skin. The child has a poor appetite, decreased weight, but it can increase stomach due to enlarged liver and spleen

Diagnosis and treatment of leukemia in children

The diagnosis of leukemia is confirmed by the study of blood and bone marrow. In the blood, there is a huge number of child immature leukocytes, as well as a reduced amount of erythrocytes and platelets.

Depending on the type of leukemia, the nature of the disease and the general state of the child is assigned the following treatments:

• Chemotherapy - administration of drugs, destroying blasts;
• Monoclonal (Targeted, point) therapy - target and destroy blasts using biological products;
• Radiation therapy - the overwhelming process of dividing blood cells;
• bone marrow transplant from a donor - after the destruction carried out by means of blasts of radiation or chemotherapy.

With the right treatment promptly initiated leukemia in children can be cured in 70-90% of cases.

Galina Romanenko

Psoriasis - a non-infectious inflammatory skin disease that occurs chronically. Psoriasis in children, in most cases there is acute and during the cold season. This dermatosis prevalent among girls, as they have in their teens are more common endocrinopathies.

What causes psoriasis

Many people wonder whether psoriasis transferred to the child from the parents. It is found that the disease has a genetic predisposition. If both parents have psoriasis plaques, then the likelihood that the child will arise dermatosis significantly increases.

Many patients can detect signs of disorders of the endocrine glands and the autonomic, peripheral and central nervous system. Often the appearance of illness provoke immunological changes and changes in metabolism Metabolism: The basis of life of all living things .

There are predisposing factors, the impact of which can lead to the development of psoriasis. These include:

• Prolonged exposure to cold air;
• Rubbing the skin clothing;
• Emotional stress;
• Communicable diseases;
• Diseases of the liver and kidneys;
• Skin lesions;
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antimalarial drugs, β-blockers.

Levels in children with psoriasis detected slight increase in total protein content and increased γ-globulins. Also identified disorders in fat metabolism, and changes in concentrations of various amino acids in the plasma.

Signs of psoriasis in children

Children psoriasis, depending on the characteristics of the disease is divided into several forms. Among them are the most common:

• Psoriasis vulgaris, which is characterized by the appearance of small papules (knots) red or pink. They plotnovata to the touch and slightly raised above the skin. Papules covered by silvery-white scales and increasing them in size merge with each other, because psoriatic plaques are formed. Most often they are localized on the hands and feet (on the extensor surfaces and in the elbows and knees) and in the lower back;
• Seborrheic psoriasis, it occurs on the scalp, in the nasolabial, nososchechnyh BTE and folds on the chest and between the shoulder blades. Peeling takes on a yellowish hue, and on his head there is a large amount of dandruff Dandruff: where it comes from, and what to do Which masks rash;
• Erythrodermic psoriasis, this form is more likely to develop an exacerbation of psoriasis vulgaris under the influence of any irritants. Affect almost all the skin, it then becomes bright red and covered with large and small white scales. Child bother burning, itching and a feeling of tightening of the skin. Increased body temperature, and lymph nodes increase in size (particularly inguinal and femoral);
• Artropaticheskom - a severe form of psoriasis that affects the joints. Skin rash may precede or occur simultaneously with arthritis. Man bother discomfort, swelling of the toes and ankles, pain in the fingers, wrists, ankles and knees.

Psoriasis in infants and children up to five years appears drain the lesions on the skin of the trunk, extremities, face and scalp. Often in the pathological process involved the mucosa of the genitals, if the psoriasis is an exciting area of ​​the inguinal folds.

One-third of children who suffer from psoriasis affects the nails on the hands and feet. Their surface is covered with small indentations, and they become like a thimble.

The symptoms of psoriasis in children of primary school age are more pronounced when compared with the signs of illness in adults. Rash them brighter, a large number of scales and crusts (inflammation of the dried liquid).

There are three stages of psoriatic process: progressive, stationary and retrogressive. The first of them appear papule formation of new plaque and increase in size old. The second - the fresh elements of the rash do not appear, and the third - papules and plaques are flattened, pale, decreases or disappears completely peeling.

Children very often Koebner phenomenon. It lies in the fact that in case of damage or irritation of the skin in these areas, new elements psoriatic rash.

Treatment of infantile psoriasis

Psoriasis in children as in adults treated sequentially, periodically replacing one therapy to another. In summer, due to the action of sunlight, many symptoms of the disease subside. If the skin, new foci, then resume treatment.

For topical ointment treatments are applied, such as salicylic, sulfur-tar and glucocorticoid (prednisolone, flutsinar, Lorinden, ftorokort and others). Inside designate desensitization (allergy) and sedatives (tranquilizers) funds. Used vitamins (A, pyridoxine, riboflavin Riboflavin - if you flushed the skin at the corners of the mouth , B12, B15, folic and ascorbic acids). In severe forms of psoriasis are appointed into steroids. Cytotoxic drugs (eg methotrexate) is not recommended for children of all age groups.

PUVA therapy (ultraviolet irradiation in patients receiving photosensitizer - a substance that enhances its effect) is commonly used in children older than fifteen years. The stationary and regressing stages can be assigned UV therapy. These methods are used in young children only with severe disease.

Treatment of psoriasis in children and should include sanitation foci of infection, for example, treatment of diseases of the respiratory tract, ENT organs and worm infestations. After three years of a child who suffers from psoriasis Psoriasis - immune system alarm You can spend adenektomiyu (adenoidectomy) and tonsillectomy (removal of tonsils). In most cases, these surgical procedures favorably affect the course of disease.

It is necessary to begin treatment immediately after the first symptoms. Be sure to comply with all recommendations of the physician. Prevention of psoriasis does not exist. In order to reduce the severity of symptoms of the disease or prevent their re-emergence, it is important to maintain optimum humidity in the house to avoid hypothermia and damage to the skin.

Alexander Chernov