Louis R. Limarzi

Treatment of acute leukemia in children with and without folic acid antagonists

Summary The natural history of eighty-six cases of acute leukemia in children has been described. Only two of these have been Negroes. Preschool age children are primarily affected and the average life expectancy is 5.5 months. The folic acid antagonists, Aminopterin and A-methopterin, have provided clinical improvement and prolonged life in the majority of cases. Bone marrow remissions have been obtained for as long as thirty months. The role of Aminopterin as a folic acid and citrovorum factor antagonist has been discussed in respect to the enzymes concerned in protein metabolism associated with cellular maturation.

Chronic myelogenous leucemia in early infancy

Summary A case of chronic myeloid leucemia in an infant aged 6 weeks ispresented, and evidence for its congenital nature is discussed. Therapy with roentgen irradiation was unsuccessful, and apparently affected the outcome neither favorably nor unfavorably as far as we could ascertain. From a review of the cases available in the literature, this is the youngest age at which this disease has been recognized.