Carney Triad | Symptoms & Causes
What are the symptoms of Carney triad?
The symptoms of Carney triad may vary from child to child and depend on where tumors are located and what kind they are. Symptoms may mimic other, more common ailments. Some symptoms may include:
- gastrointestinal bleeding
- stomach pain
- abdominal mass that can be felt on examination
- anemia (low red blood cell count)
- headaches
- high blood pressure
What causes Carney triad?
Carney triad is non-hereditary and incredibly rare with 30 cases reported in total. Because many of these symptoms can also point to other conditions, it’s important to have your child evaluated and diagnosed by a qualified medical professional right away.
Carney Triad | Diagnosis & Treatments
How is Carney triad diagnosed?
The first step in treating your child is forming an accurate and complete diagnosis. Your child’s physician may order a number of different tests including:
- a physical exam and complete medical history
- blood and urine tests
- endoscopy
- biopsy
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- computerized tomography scan (CT/CAT scan),
- molecular testing
There may be other diagnostic tests your doctor will discuss with you depending on your child's individual situation. After we complete all necessary tests, our experts meet to review and discuss what they have learned about your child's condition. Then, we will meet with you and your family to discuss the results and outline the best possible treatment options.
What are the treatment options for Carney triad?
Treatment for your child's Carney triad will depend on a number of factors, including the type of tumors your child has and where they are located. Your child's doctor may recommend:
Different groups of chemotherapy drugs work in different ways. Your child may receive chemotherapy orally as a pill to swallow, intramuscularly as an injection into the muscle or fat tissue, intravenously as a direct injection into the bloodstream or intrathecally as a direct injection into the spinal column through a needle. Often, a combination of chemotherapy drugs is used.
What is the long-term outlook for children with Carney triad?
Children treated for Carney triad should visit a survivorship clinic yearly. Through the David B. Perini Jr. Quality of Life Clinic, our cancer survivorship clinic, childhood cancer survivors receive a comprehensive follow-up evaluation from their cancer care team. In addition to meeting with your pediatric oncologists, your child may see one of our endocrinologists, cardiologists, neurologists, neuro-psychologists, or alternative/complementary therapy specialists. We also offer patient and family education, psychosocial assessment, genetic counseling, reproductive counseling, and opportunities to speak with other childhood cancer survivors.