ACTINOMYCIN D AND TRANSVERSE LINES OF GROWING BONES

Actinomycin D in a dose of 15 µg per kilogram body weight per day for 5 days was given at intervals of two months for two years in the treatment of Wilms' tumor. It was observed that each course of actinomycin D therapy resulted in the occurrence of transverse lines of increased density at the terminal segments of growing bones. Linear growth proceeded at the expected rate in all children studied. Evidently, arrest of longitudinal growth is no prerequisite for the development of transverse lines, and even the formation of multiple lines within a relatively short period does not necessarily imply any retardation of linear growth. The formation of transverse lines in response to actinomycin D administration may indicate that interference with growth hormone secretion and/or peripheral action may be involved in the development of these lines. Copyright © 1968, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved