– Rare disease with only 150 cases reported worldwide of which 10 cases are from India –
Hyderabad : A 12-month-old baby with Griscelli Syndrome (GS) became one of the youngest in combined Telugu states to successfully undergo a Bone Marrow Transplant. American Oncology Institute attained another milestone with two successful pediatric BMT procedures. The procedure was led by Dr C.S. Ranjith Kumar, Consultant Pediatric Hemato Oncologist.
Baby Aarav (name change) with GS was suffering from recurrent infection due to immune system abnormalities in addition to having hypopigmented skin and silvery-gray sheen of the hair. Griscelli syndrome is rare, with a prevalence of less than 1 per million. As per industry reports, there are total of only 150 cases reported worldwide of which 10 cases are from India. Griscelli syndrome usually presents in infancy or early childhood, in most cases between the ages of 4 months and 7 years. Griscelli syndrome has been successfully treated by stem cell transplantation. Fortunately, the 4-year-old elder sibling was the perfect match. However, due to the young age of the patient the entire procedure was complicated.
American Oncology Institute has performed 70+ cases in the last 2 years of which 25+ cases were pediatric bone marrow transplant. Experienced in handling complicated cases, Dr Ranjith and his team recently performed another pediatric BMT procedure for an 8-month-old baby. The patient was diagnosed with severe combined immune deficiency [SCID]. Since 10 weeks of birth, the toddler was suffering from recurrent fever syndrome. After further medical evaluation and in consultation with the family, the baby was admitted for matched sibling donor allogenic stem cell transplantation.
Dr. Prabhakar P, Regional Chief Operating Officer, American Oncology Institute (AOI), said, “The number of patients seeking BMT in India has increased over the last five years. Pediatric BMT outcomes are also improving. Highly experienced pediatric Hemato Oncologist are needed to improve outcomes. Supported with extensive training, experience, and state-of-the-art technology, AOI has an incredible team of highly skilled specialists to deal with complicated pediatric BMT cases. AOI is committed to offering best-in-class clinical expertise, technological superiority, and service excellence for our patients in South Asia. AOI stands at the forefront of treatment excellence offering precision cancer care for all types of cancers across all age groups.”
Explaining the serious condition of the patient, Dr C.S. Ranjith Kumar, Consultant Pediatric Hemato Oncologist, AOI said, “Transplant-related mortality remains the major challenge in children with primary immune deficiency disorders undergoing BMT. The treating pediatrician should detect these symptoms early for successful outcomes. India is making fast strides in BMT for PID, and in future we should be able to diagnose and transplant early and save more lives with better quality of life.”
American Oncology Institute is the leading cancer hospital chain in South Asia operating 17 cancer hospitals in the region. AOI founded in 2012 by a group of physicians and industry experts, is today a wholly owned subsidiary of the largest cancer medical technology company – Varian Medical Systems, a Siemens Healthineers Company.