Rate and severity of radiological features of physical abuse in children during the first UK-wide COVID-19 enforced national lockdown.

Rate and severity of radiological features of physical abuse in children during the first UK-wide COVID-19 enforced national lockdown. OBJECTIVE: To assess the number, type and outcome of radiological investigations for children presenting to hospital with suspected physical abuse (SPA; including abusive head trauma) during the first national COVID-19 enforced lockdown compared with the prelockdown period. DESIGN: Multicentre, retrospective, observational, interrupted time series analysis. SETTING: Eight secondary/tertiary paediatric centres between January 2018 and July 2020 inclusive. PARTICIPANTS: 1587 hospital assessed children undergoing radiographic skeletal surveys (SkS) and head CT imaging performed for SPA/child protection concerns. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence and severity of fractures identified on SkS; head injury (composed of incidence rates and ratios of skull fracture, intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) and hypoxic ischaemic injury (HII)) on head CT imaging; and ratio of antemortem and postmortem SkS. RESULTS: 1587 SkS were performed: 1282 (81%) antemortem, 762 (48%) male, and positive findings in 582 (37%). Median patient age was 6 months. There were 1.7 fractures/child prelockdown versus 1.1 fractures/child during lockdown. There was no difference between positive/negative SkS rates, the absolute ratio of antemortem/postmortem SkS or absolute numbers of head injury occurring between January 2018 and February 2020 and the lockdown period April-July 2020. Likewise, prelockdown incidence and rates of skull fracture 30/244 (12%), ICH 28/220 (13%) and HIE 10/205 (5%) were similar to lockdown, 142/1304 (11%), 171/1152 (15%) and 68/1089 (6%), respectively. CONCLUSION: The first UK COVID-19 lockdown did not lead to an increase in either the number of antemortem or postmortem radiological investigations performed for SPA, or the number or severity of fractures and intracranial injuries identified by these investigations.

Rationale, design, and methods of a randomized, controlled, open-label clinical trial with open-label extension to investigate the safety of vosoritide in infants, and young children with achondroplasia at risk of requiring cervicomedullary decompression surgery.

Achondroplasia causes narrowing of the foramen magnum and the spinal canal leading to increased mortality due to cervicomedullary compression in infants and significant morbidity due to spinal stenosis later in adulthood. Vosoritide is a C-natriuretic peptide analogue that has been shown to improve endochondral ossification in children with achondroplasia. The objective of this trial is to evaluate the safety of vosoritide and whether vosoritide can improve the growth of the foramen magnum and spinal canal in children that may require decompression surgery. An Achondroplasia Foramen Magnum Score will be used to identify infants at risk of requiring decompression surgery. This is a 2-year open label randomized controlled trial of vosoritide in infants with achondroplasia ages 0 to ≤12 months. Approximately 20 infants will be randomized 1:1 to either open label once daily subcutaneous vosoritide combined with standard of care or standard of care alone. The primary and secondary aims of the study are to evaluate the safety and efficacy of vosoritide in children with cervicomedullary compression at risk of requiring decompression surgery. The trial will be carried out in specialized skeletal dysplasia treatment centers with well established multidisciplinary care pathways and standardized approaches to the neurosurgical management of cervicomedually compression. After 2 years, infants randomized to standard of care alone will be eligible to switch to vosoritide plus standard of care for an additional 3 years. This pioneering trial hopes to address the important question as to whether treatment with vosoritide at an early age in infants at risk of requiring cervicomedullary decompression surgery is safe, and can improve growth at the foramen magnum and spinal canal alleviating stenosis. This in turn may reduce compression of surrounding structures including the neuraxis and spinal cord, which could alleviate future morbidity and mortality.Trial registrations: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04554940; EudraCT number, 2020-001055-40.

Pituitary apoplexy: how to define safe boundaries of conservative management? Early and long-term outcomes from a single UK tertiary neurosurgical unit.

OBJECTIVES: (1) Describe presentation, management and outcomes of a single-centre series of patients with pituitary apoplexy. (2) Compare early and long-term outcomes of conservative and surgical management. (3) Identify predictive factors for visual recovery. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patients acutely managed by Sheffield's Neurosurgery over a 9-years period. Outcome comparison was made between 2 groups ('conservative' versus 'emergency') at early FU and 3 groups ('conservative' versus 'elective' versus 'emergency') at long-term FU. RESULTS: Data from 30 patients (M:F = 2.8:1; mean age: 54 years; median FU: 31.5 months) were collected. 86,7% patients presented with visual disturbances (70% acuity, 50% field, 50% diploplia). 10 (33%) patients underwent emergency surgery and further 8 underwent delayed elective surgery.At early FU, resolution rates of VA (33% versus 38%), VF (40% versus 50%) and CN deficits (71% versus 40%) were not significantly different between groups.At long-term FU, resolution of VA (80% versus 20% versus 75%) and CN deficits (67% versus 50% versus 80%) was not significantly different between groups. Most patients who underwent surgery presented with severe VA deficit (20% versus 40% versus 63%) but severity of initial deficit wasn't correlated with long-term resolution.VF recovery rates showed significant difference between groups (p = 0.027): 67% versus 0% versus 88%.Endocrine outcomes were generally poor, regardless of the management strategy.Regarding possible predictive factors, age and tumour size correlated with visual outcomes. Especially in patients treated conservatively in the acute phase, no cases of complete resolution of VA or VF deficit were recorded when tumour was higher than 35 mm. CONCLUSIONS: Good results are possible with conservative management in selected cases. Emergency surgery provides better visual outcomes. Decision-making process should be tailored to every single patient. We believe that a tumour vertical diameter >35 mm should tip the balance in favour of surgical management in presence of visual deficit.

Aetiological investigations in early developmental impairment: are they worth it?

OBJECTIVE: To study the frequency a diagnosis is made in children with early developmental impairment (EDI), and the contribution made to diagnosis by specific investigations. DESIGN: Retrospective case note review. SETTING: Community, neurodisability and neurology department at a UK tertiary centre. PARTICIPANTS: Children referred to determine the aetiology of EDI where a cause was not evident on history and examination. Participants were divided into two groups: EDI and no additional features (EDI-) and EDI with additional features (EDI+). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The frequency a cause was found for the child's EDI and which tests contributed to a diagnosis. RESULTS: 699 participants, 68.8% boys, median age at investigation 2 years 8 months (range 3 months to 11 years 5 months). 61 (8.7%) of participants had no investigations, and children with EDI- were less likely to be investigated (χ2=12.5, p<0.05). A diagnosis was made in 166 children (23.7%) and was more frequent in EDI+ (EDI- 9.9%, EDI+ 27.3%, χ2=19.0; p<0.05). Full blood count, zinc protoporphyrin, renal or liver function, bone profile, biotinidase, creatine kinase or lead level revealed no diagnoses. The following investigations found causes for EDI: MRI (23.1%), microarray (11.5%), Fragile X (0.9%), plasma amino acids (1.2%), urine organic acids (0.9%) and thyroid function tests (0.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of 'screening' investigations for EDI do not contribute to a diagnosis, highlighting an area of cost saving for the NHS and reduced burden for patients and families. We propose a streamlined guideline for the investigation of EDI based on our data.