Background: Bone marrow transplantation has become the therapeutic method in some forms of malignant haemotopoietic diseases, malignant tumours, inborn errors of metabolism and immunodeficiency states. The objective of the presented work is the analysis of 40 allogenic bone marrow transplantations in children made in 1989-1994.
Methods and results: Bone marrow transplantation was made in 40 children (26 boys and 14 girls), mean age 10.5 years (range 1.5-17.5 years). Indications were acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 11, acute myeloid leukaemia in 10, chronic myeloid leukaemia in 6, myelodysplastic syndrome in 2, aplastic anaemia and Fanconi's anaemia in 7, non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2 and inborn errors in 2 children. The donor was in 33 patients in HLA identical sibling and in seven instances a monozygotic twin, HLA non-identical sibling or relative or unrelated matched donor. Bone marrow engraftment was achieved in 35 (87.5%) patients, in one instance the bone marrow was rejected (2.5%) and in four patients (10%) early death occurred before the bone marrow engraftment. On Aug. 15, 1995 20 patients (50%) survived, a relapse developed in 7 (17.5%) and 13 patients died in conjunction with the transplantation (32.5%). The most frequent cause of death were infectious complications (9 children) either in conjunction with the development of graft versus host reaction (6x) or without signs of this reaction (3x). As a prophylaxis of graft versus host disease 24x Cyclosporine A with corticosteroids was used, 16x with methotrexate. A chronic graft versus host disease developed in 6 of 28 children surviving 100 days after transplantation. The greatest problem are infectious (bacterial and mycotic) complications in the phase of bone marrow aplasia before engraftment of the transplanted bone marrow or in conjunction with a graft versus host reaction which cannot be completely avoided by preventive measures.
Conclusions: Bone marrow transplantation is also in children an effective therapeutic method of some forms of malignant haematopoietic diseases, malignant tumours and immunodeficiency states. The correct indication, suitable donor, preventive measures against the graft versus host reaction and protection against infectious complications are essential for the success of this pretentious treatment.