Related Conditions and Treatments
Acute Flaccid Myelitis
Condition
Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a neurologic condition that can cause muscle weakness and possible paralysis.
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
Condition
In the form of leukemia known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a group of white blood cells called lymphocytes is affected.
Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Condition
Acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, is a quickly progressing type of blood cancer.
Adamantinoma
Condition
Adamantinomas are slow-growing cancerous bone tumors that form primarily in the tibia (shin bone) but occasionally in the jaw, forearm, hands, or feet.
Adrenal Tumors
Condition
Adrenal tumors are masses that grow in the adrenal gland, the organ responsible for producing hormones in response to physical and emotional stress.
Adrenocortical Carcinoma
Condition
Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare cancer that forms in the outer layer of the adrenal glands.
Anaplastic Astrocytomas
Condition
Anaplastic astrocytomas are brain tumors that arise from brain cells called astrocytes, which are a type of glial cell.
Anemia
Condition
One of the most common pediatric blood disorders, anemia has many potential causes.
Angiofibroma
Condition
Angiofibroma is a relatively rare tumor that grows in the back of the nasal cavity. It occurs almost exclusively in adolescent boys.
Angiosarcoma
Condition
Angiosarcoma is a type of cancer that begins in the cells that line the blood vessels or lymph vessels.
Aplastic Anemia
Condition
Aplastic anemia occurs when the bone marrow produces too few cells.
Astrocytoma
Condition
Astrocytomas are tumors that arise in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance and coordination.
Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor (ATRT)
Condition
An atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) is a very rare, aggressive tumor of the central nervous system.
Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
Condition
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a rare disorder that occurs when a person’s own red blood cells burst.
Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome
Condition
Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome is a genetic disorder that can cause an overgrowth of particular body parts.
Blood Transfusions
Treatment
A blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood or one of its components from one person to another.
Brain Tumors
Condition
Childhood brain tumors can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous), but both types can be life-threatening.
Burkitt Lymphoma
Condition
Burkitt lymphoma (aka small noncleaved cell lymphoma) is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer in the lymphatic system.
Cancer
Condition
Childhood cancer is not a single disease type, but an umbrella group of diseases that include blood cancers, brain tumors, and other solid tumors of the organs, bones, or soft tissues.
Carcinoid Tumors
Condition
Carcinoid tumors are a type of neuroendocrine tumor that can develop in the appendix, gastrointestinal tract, or lungs.
Carney Triad
Condition
Carney triad is a rare condition that describes the occurrence of three kinds of endocrine tumors in the same patient.
Chemotherapy
Treatment
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to stop cancer cells from multiplying in the body.
Cholesteatoma
Condition
Cholesteatoma is the accumulation of skin in an abnormal location, typically behind the eardrum.
Chondroblastoma
Condition
Chondroblastomas occur when chondroblasts grow out of control and cause a benign (non-cancerous) tumor.
Chondromas
Condition
Chondromas are benign (not cancerous) tumors made of cartilage that are found mostly in the small bones of the hand and feet.
Chondrosarcoma
Condition
Chondrosarcoma is a cancerous tumor that typically develops in the cartilage that coats the ends of bones and forms joints.
Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD)
Condition
Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited immune system disorder that occurs when a type of white blood cell does not work properly.
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Condition
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a form of leukemia that develops in the bone marrow, the soft, spongy center of long bones.
Congenital Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia
Condition
Congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT) is a rare, inherited disorder characterized by a severely low number of megakaryocytes.
Learn more about Congenital Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia
Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemia
Condition
Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia (CDA) is a group of rare, inherited, conditions characterized by ineffective red blood cell production.
Congenital Sideroblastic Anemia
Condition
Congenital sideroblastic anemia (CSA) is a group of rare inherited disorders that decrease the number of red blood cells.
Craniopharyngioma
Condition
Craniopharyngioma is a childhood brain tumor.
Cyclic Neutropenia
Condition
Cyclic neutropenia is a rare blood disorder that occurs when the body commonly has fewer white blood cells than normal.
Desmoid Tumor
Condition
Desmoid tumors are thought to develop from the fibrous tissue that forms tendons and ligaments.
Diamond-Blackfan Anemia
Condition
Diamond Blackfan anemia is a rare genetic blood disorder that occurs when the bone marrow fails to make red blood cells.
Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)
Condition
Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas are highly aggressive and difficult-to treat-brain tumors found at the base of the brain. See how we treat them.
Dyskeratosis Congenita
Condition
Dyskeratosis congenita is a rare condition that can often cause bone marrow failure.
Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma (EHE)
Condition
Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare vascular tumor or anomaly that arises from the cells lining the blood vessels.
Evans Syndrome
Condition
Evans Syndrome is a common blood disorder that occurs when the body has fewer red blood cells than normal.
Ewing Sarcoma
Condition
Ewing sarcoma is a kind of cancer that grows in bones or soft tissues.
Fanconi Anemia
Condition
Fanconi anemia is a severe lifelong condition that requires ongoing medical treatment. Boston Children's Hospital can help.
Fibrosarcoma
Condition
A fibrosarcoma is a malignant (cancerous) tumor that originates in the connective fibrous tissue found at the ends of bones of the arm or legs, and then spreads to other surrounding soft tissues.
Ganglioglioma
Condition
A ganglioglioma is low-grade tumor of mixed cell type.
Gene Therapy
Treatment
Gene therapy is a technique used in an effort to treat or prevent disease.
Generalized Lymphatic Anomaly
Condition
Generalized lymphatic anomaly, or lymphangiomatosis, is a rare condition involving the abnormal overgrowth of lymphatic vessels in the lungs, pleura, bones, and soft tissue.
Germ Cell Tumors
Condition
Germ cell tumors are masses of tissue formed by immature cells that normally would have developed into mature eggs or sperm.
Germ Cell Tumors of the Brain
Condition
Germ cell tumors of the brain develop from germ cells — the cells that later become sperm in the testicles or eggs in the ovaries.
Germinoma
Condition
A germinoma is a type of germ cell tumor that is most often found in the brain.
Giant Cell Tumor
Condition
A giant cell tumor is a benign solitary tumor that usually grows in the ends of long bones, and contains unusually large cells.
Glaucoma
Condition
Glaucoma is a condition in which the normal fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises. The fluid collects and eventually causes loss of vision.
Glioblastoma Multiforme
Condition
Glioblastoma multiformes (GBMs) are high-grade gliomas that arise from the brain’s supportive tissue (glial cells).
Glioma
Condition
A glioma is a kind of brain tumor that originates from glial cells, which support and nourish neurons in the brain.
Hamartoma
Condition
A hamartoma is an abnormal growth that's made up of the same tissue from which it grows.
Hemangiopericytoma
Condition
Hemangiopericytoma is a rare tumor that grows in the body’s soft tissue, which includes fat, muscles, tendons, nerves, blood vessels and other fibrous tissue.
Hemolytic Anemia
Condition
Hemolytic anemia is a sub-type of anemia, a common blood disorder that occurs when the body has fewer red blood cells than normal.
Hemolytic Disease
Condition
Hemolytic disease of the newborn occurs when the blood types of a mother and baby are incompatible.
Hemophilia
Condition
Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder that slows the body’s ability for form blood clots.
Hepatoblastoma
Condition
Hepatoblastoma is a type of liver cancer in children.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Condition
Hepatocellular carcinoma, also called liver carcinoma, is a rare, aggressive type of liver cancer.
Hodgkin Lymphoma
Condition
Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that causes cells in the lymphatic system to abnormally reproduce.
Home Hydration
Treatment
Home Hydration lets patients sleep in their own beds, eat home cooked meals, and spend more time with friends and family.
Hydrops Fetalis
Condition
Hydrops fetalis — or hydrops — is when large amounts of fluid build up in a baby’s tissues and organs, causing extensive swelling.
Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP)
Condition
Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder where your child's body attacks its own platelets and destroys them too quickly.
Iron Chelation Therapy
Treatment
Iron chelation drugs are used to treat an excess of iron in the body.
Iron Deficiency Anemia
Condition
Iron deficiency anemia is a common blood disorder that occurs when red blood cell counts are low due to a lack of iron.
Iron-Refractory Iron Deficiency Anemia (IRIDA)
Condition
Iron-refractory iron deficiency anemia (IRIDA) is a rare, inherited form of iron deficiency anemia.
Learn more about Iron-Refractory Iron Deficiency Anemia (IRIDA)
Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis
Condition
Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) occurs when a child has too many of a certain cell type called Langerhans cells.
Large Cell Lymphoma
Condition
Large cell lymphoma is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Leiomyosarcoma
Condition
Leiomyosarcoma is a cancer of the muscle, particularly of soft tissue.
Li-Fraumeni Syndrome
Condition
Li-Fraumeni syndrome is a hereditary condition that is often associated with a pathogenic variant in the TP53 gene.
Limb-Salvage Surgery
Treatment
Limb-salvage surgery is a surgical option for children with a malignant tumor in a long bone of their leg or arm.
Liposarcoma
Condition
Liposarcoma is a malignant soft tissue tumor that develops in fat tissue.
Lymphoblastic Lymphoma
Condition
Lymphoblastic lymphoma is a cancer of immature cells of the immune system.
Lymphoscintigraphy
Treatment
Lymphoscintigraphy is a noninvasive medical imaging test that can help your doctors diagnose problems related to the lymphatic system.
Malignant Fibrous Histiocystoma
Condition
A malignant fibrous histiocytoma is a type of cancerous tumor that can start in bone or in the soft tissues that connect, support, or surround organs and other body parts.
Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor
Condition
A malignant rhabdoid tumor is a rare childhood tumor that commonly starts in the kidneys but also can occur in other soft tissues or in the brain.
Medulloblastoma
Condition
A medulloblastoma is a brain tumor located in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls complex motor functions.
Megaloblastic Pernicious Anemia
Condition
Megaloblastic anemia is a form of anemia characterized by very large red blood cells and a decrease in the number of those cells.
Melanoma (Skin Cancer)
Condition
Melanoma is a highly malignant skin cancer that begins in melanocytes — cells that make melanin — of normal skin or moles and spreads rapidly and widely.
Meningioma
Condition
Meningioma is a slow-growing and usually non-cancerous tumor that originates in the meninges, the membrane layer covering the brain and spinal cord.
Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia
Condition
Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) is an inherited genetic multiple endocrine neoplasia that causes tumors to grow in several of the body’s hormone-producing, endocrine organs.
Myelodysplastic Syndrome in Children
Condition
Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a rare disease of the blood, only occurring in four out of every 1 million children.
Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN)
Condition
Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a rare, closely related group of blood disorders in which the bone marrow overproduces red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets.
Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Condition
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a rare cancer that arises in the nasal cavity and pharynx (throat).
Neuroblastoma
Condition
Neuroblastoma is a cancerous tumor that begins in nerve tissue of young children.
Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs)
Condition
Neuroendocrine tumors, also known as NETs, are growths that develop from specialized, hormone-producing neuroendocrine tissue distributed throughout the body.
Neurofibrosarcoma
Condition
Neurofibrosarcomas (peripheral nerve sheath tumors) are malignant tumors that form in the soft tissues surrounding the peripheral nerves.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Condition
Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) all start in lymph tissue and share some similarities in how the cells look under a microscope.
Osteoblastoma
Condition
Osteoblastoma is a benign, bone-forming tumor that’s most often found in the lower vertebrae of the spine or long bones of the lower extremity.
Osteosarcoma
Condition
Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer among children, adolescents, and young adults.
PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome (PHTS)
Condition
PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS) is a genetic disorder caused by a defect in a gene called PTEN.
Paraganglioma and Pheochromocytoma
Condition
Paragangliomas and pheochromocytomas are tumors that develop out of the neuroendocrine tissue responsible for making epinephrine.
Pearson Syndrome
Condition
Pearson syndrome is a very rare condition that affects various parts of the body, and it is caused by a mutation — or changing of structure — in the mitochondrial DNA.
Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation
Treatment
A stem cell transplant (also called bone marrow transplant) is the infusion of healthy stem cells into the body to stimulate new bone marrow growth.
Platelet Function Disorders
Condition
A platelet function disorder is when blood may not be able to clot normally, which results in an increased risk of bleeding.
Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma
Condition
Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare, benign brain tumor that likely arises from cells in the nervous system that make up the supportive network for the brain.
Polycythemia
Condition
Polycythemia is a blood disorder occurring when there are too many red blood cells in the body.
Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors (PNET)
Condition
Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) and pineoblastoma are a group of tumors defined by their appearance and are thought to develop from primitive (undeveloped) nerve cells in the brain.
Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PK)
Condition
Pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency is a rare, genetic, lifelong condition that affects red blood cells.
Radiation Therapy
Treatment
Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells by damaging their DNA, the genetic material in a cell.
Red Blood Cell Disorders
Condition
Red blood cell (RBC) disorders are conditions that affect red blood cells, the cells of blood that carry oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body.
Rotationplasty
Treatment
Rotationplasty is a surgical procedure used to treat bone tumors in children that occur near the knee.
Schwannoma (Neurilemoma)
Condition
Schwannoma (also called neurilemoma) is a benign tumor that can arise from any nerve in the body, but tends to favor certain nerves located in the head and neck
Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome
Condition
Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is a rare, inherited bone marrow failure, characterized by a low number of white blood cells, poor growth due to difficulty absorbing food, and, in some cases, skeletal abnormalities.
Sickle Cell Disease
Condition
Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder where cells cluster together, making it difficult for them to move through small blood vessels, thus denying oxygen to the blood.
Splenectomy
Treatment
A splenectomy is a surgical procedure to remove your child's spleen if it's diseased or not functioning.
Synovial Sarcoma
Condition
Synovial sarcoma is a malignant tumor of the soft tissues, usually around joints.
Teratoma
Condition
A teratoma is a congenital (present prior to birth) tumor formed by different types of tissue.
Testicular Tumors
Condition
A testicular tumor is a growth on the testicles.
Thalassemia
Condition
Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that causes the body to produce less hemoglobin than normal.
Thrombosis (Blood Clots)
Condition
Thrombosis is a blood clot that develops within veins or arteries in the body.
Thyroid Cancer in Children
Condition
Pediatric thyroid cancer (also called thyroid carcinoma) occurs when cells in the thyroid gland become abnormal and grow out of control.
Tumors of the Pancreas
Condition
Tumors of the pancreas can develop from the pancreas’ exocrine cells, which make enzymes to aid in digestion, or endocrine cells, which produce hormones such as insulin and glucagon that control blood sugar levels.
Urologic Tumors
Condition
Urologic tumors are tumors that occur in a child's urinary tract.
Von Willebrand Disease
Condition
Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) is an inherited bleeding disorder caused by an abnormal blood-clotting protein.