Typhlitis in children with malignancy: a single center experience.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Typhlitis, an inflammation of the cecum, is a serious complication in pediatric cancer patients.
• Risk factors and preventative strategies for typhlitis require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between Clostridium difficile infection and the development of typhlitis in children with malignancy.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study was conducted reviewing medical records of children diagnosed with malignancy between 1988 and 2008.
• Children who developed typhlitis were compared with age and sex-matched controls without typhlitis.
• Variables examined included underlying malignancy, chemotherapy, and Clostridium difficile infection status.

Main Results:

• Nine children (0.22%) developed typhlitis among 410 pediatric cancer patients.
• Children with a history of Clostridium difficile infection within 8 weeks prior to typhlitis were significantly more likely to develop typhlitis (odds ratio 7.99).
• One patient died from typhlitis.

Conclusions:

• Clostridium difficile infection is identified as a significant risk factor for typhlitis in children with cancer.
• Further multicenter trials are recommended to validate these findings and inform clinical practice.