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Mild course of mumps in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
1Centre for Paediatric Oncology, University Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Few details exist on the course of mumps during cytostatic treatment. We therefore describe our observations on the course of mumps seen between 1974 and 1988 in eight children suffering from acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL). Our data suggest that in malignant disease the course is rarely severe and that the infection often remains subclinical, as in healthy children. Mumps was accidentally diagnosed by routine lumbar puncture in four of the eight patients. Literature data suggest that the intrinsic low cytopathological effect of the virus, together with a parallelism between T cell response and clinical severity, may explain the usual mild course in immunodepressed patients, contrasting with the severe course of measles and Varicella zoster.
Insights
Mumps infection in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) undergoing cytostatic treatment is rarely severe. The infection often remains subclinical, similar to healthy children, with mild courses observed in immunocompromised patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Infectious Diseases
- Hematology
Background:
- Limited data exists on mumps (paramyxovirus) clinical course during cytostatic therapy.
- Children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) are immunocompromised due to their disease and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the clinical course of mumps in children with ALL undergoing cytostatic treatment.
- To compare mumps severity in immunocompromised pediatric cancer patients with that in healthy children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational study.
- Analysis of mumps cases in eight children with ALL treated between 1974 and 1988.
- Accidental diagnosis via routine lumbar puncture in four patients.
Main Results:
- Mumps infection course was rarely severe in children with ALL.
- The infection frequently remained subclinical, mirroring the course in healthy children.
- Four out of eight patients were diagnosed incidentally during lumbar punctures.
Conclusions:
- Mumps typically follows a mild course in immunocompromised pediatric patients with malignant diseases.
- Low viral cytopathic effects and T-cell response may explain the mildness, unlike measles or varicella zoster.
- Mumps infection in children with ALL on cytostatic treatment is generally not severe.