A MALIGNANT tumour, thought to be a chorionepithelioma, is recorded, because of the extreme rarity of a tumour of this type in the new-born, the mechanism of its origin and the apparent effect of its presence on the structure of the testes.
Case report
Clinical hketoryFamily. The mother's parents are well. The father is well; his parents died, one of cerebral hemorrhage, the other of carcinoma of the lung. One sibling aged 4 years is well. At birth, the child, a male, weighed 7 Ib. 2 oz. ; it cried well and appeared normal. It mas breast-fed but was described as a " slow feeder ".When two weeks old it commenced vomiting after most feeds, the vomit being flecked with bright or dark red blood. The child became progressively weaker in feeding and its stools varied in colour, being sometimes dark. The occasional vomiting of blood-streaked milk continued until it was 36 days old, when it vomited a lwge quantity of bright red blood and was admitted to the Sheffield C!hildren's Hospital under the care of Dr T. Colver. The hemoglobin was 4-8 g. per cent. and a transfusion of 200 ml. of fresh blood was given. The general condition improved considerably and, following this, hrematological studies were done, including marrow punctures, all with normal findings. The only abnormal clinical finding was an enlargement of the liver as seen on the X-ray plate.The child continued to vomit small amounts of bright red blood after each feed.During the next 10 days pallor and anemia increased. On the 48th day the superficial veins over the liver appeared distended and the liver extended I+ in. below the costal margin. At the same time fine tremor of the head was seen.The haemoglobin had fallen to 5.2 g. and a second transfusion was given. Later the same day the child's general condition rapidly deteriorated and he died.Patienf. Pregnancy and delivery were normal and at full term.On admission no abnormalities other than extreme pallor were noted.