The Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology, Pulmonology, Neurology, Allergology and Infectology at the Asklepios Children's Hospital Sankt Augustin offers the full range of top-class medical services for young patients, from the very first days of life to adolescence. The department's team of doctors specializes in the diagnostics and treatment of a wide group of pathologies in children, including oncological and hematological diseases, rheumatic, endocrine, infectious, allergic and pulmonary diseases. The department has well-equipped diagnostic rooms, where doctors conduct all the modern instrumental, laboratory and imaging tests required for the assessment of the child's health. After studying the diagnostic data, each patient receives an optimal treatment regimen with the use of the very latest drugs and therapeutic procedures. To provide comprehensive medical care, the department includes various outpatient clinics and an interdisciplinary emergency care service. The health of young patients is in the safe hands of competent doctors with vast and successful clinical experience. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Gerd Horneff.
A large number of visits to the department are for malignant blood diseases, as well as solid tumors of various localizations. The most common pathologies in hematology include various forms of anemia (for example, sickle cell anemia, Fanconi anemia, iron deficiency anemia), thrombocytopenia, leukemia, and malignant lymphomas. In the field of oncology, the department's specialists often deal with brain tumors. Malignant tumors in children have their own characteristics. Children often develop embryonic tumors that are independent of environmental influences, while carcinomas are extremely rare. All diagnostic and therapeutic procedures correspond to the protocols of the German Society for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology (GPOH). The very first stage of the therapeutic process is a comprehensive examination, which allows the doctors to make an accurate diagnosis and determine the most effective treatment tactics. When dealing with cancer treatment, an important role is given to interdisciplinary cooperation with related specialists. The treatment can be provided on both an inpatient and outpatient basis, as well as in a day hospital. When treating oncological and hematological diseases in children, the department's doctors most often use drug therapy – intake of pills or their intravenous infusions. If surgical treatment is required, highly specialized pediatric surgeons are engaged in the therapeutic process. Young patients and their parents receive care from psychologists: the treatment period is quite long and complex, which can negatively affect the psycho-emotional state. After the completion of therapy, the child undergoes regular follow-up examinations to prevent recurrences, as well as to assess their growth and development.
The department's specialists are also competent in the diagnostics and treatment of bronchial and lung diseases, including bronchial asthma, which is the most common chronic disease in children. To detect a respiratory disease and make an accurate diagnosis, doctors have in their arsenal all modern examinations. Diagnostic options include pulmonary function tests (spirometry, body plethysmography) at rest and during exercise (treadmill, methacholine challenge test, use of bronchodilators), imaging techniques (for example, X-ray and CT scans), bronchoscopy, allergy testing, etc. Based on the diagnostic results, the child is prescribed an individual course of drug therapy and effective inhalation procedures. The specialists also give recommendations on the elimination of factors that provoke asthma attacks (allergens, stress, overexertion).
The department employs a professional team of endocrinologists who specialize in the diagnostics and treatment of endocrine diseases, growth and puberty disorders in children. These pathologies can be congenital or acquired. The most common endocrine disorders in children are hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, autoimmune thyroid lesions (Graves' disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis), growth disorders (short stature, gigantism), premature puberty and its delay, hypogonadism, adrenal cortex dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, morbid obesity and others. To detect endocrine disorders, doctors study the patient's medical history, carry out a general physical examination, laboratory tests, diagnostic imaging (ultrasound and X-ray scanning), functional hormone testing, etc. The first-line treatment is usually conservative therapy with medications. If diabetes mellitus is detected, doctors use insulin therapy, including with the help of modern pumps. Each treatment regimen is thought out to the smallest detail, which guarantees a successful result.
An integral part of the work of the department's doctors is the provision of medical care to children with rheumatic diseases that cause pain and mobility restrictions. The department's specialists have excellent professional skills in the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. This type of arthritis is one of the most common in children and develops before the age of 16. The treatment tactics are determined depending on the particular subtype of rheumatic disease, the stage of the pathological process, the causes of development and the presence of concomitant pathologies. The department's specialists actively use highly effective drug therapy regimens that allow the child to get rid of pain and joint stiffness. When developing a treatment regimen, the department's doctors take into account the risks of developing concomitant inflammatory processes in the intestines, pathological lesions of the blood vessels, skin and soft tissues.
The department's range of medical services includes:
Education
Professional Career
Scientific Awards and Grants
Memberships in Scientific Associations
Reviewer and/or Editorial Board Member of the Journals
Photo of the doctor: (c) Asklepios Klinik Sankt Augustin GmbH
