Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation - Blog Science Connections

Infectious Complications of Autologous Bone
Marrow Transplantation in Children With
Neoplastic Diseases
Claudio Viscoli, Anna Loy, Giorgio Dini, Alberto Garauenta,
Edoardo Lanino, Giampiero Perin, Bruno De Bernardi,
Cristina Moroni, Adriana Fabbri,
and Giuseppe Ferrea
Modern regimens of massive antitumor therapy followed by autologous bone
marrow transplantation (ABMT), causing a prolonged period of granulocytopenia,
render patients highly susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections.
Moreover, as occurs with patients who undergo allogeneic bone
marrow transplantation, these procedures may also be responsible for late
episodes of viral and protozoal infections (1). However, although the overall
mortality from infection varies from 6% to 33% in comparable series (2-5),
very few comprehensive studies have been conducted so far that deal
specifically with infection.
In order specifically to study infections associated with ABMT and to
prepare a protocol for their management, we have prospectively evaluated all
febrile episodes that developed in 42 patients, 25 boys and 17 girls aged 7
months to 17 years (median, 5 years) who, from October 1984 to September
1986, underwent ABMT for the treatment of various types of neoplastic
diseases.
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