Congenital hepatic cyst: Prenatal and postnatal imaging findings.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital hepatic cyst is a rare hepatobiliary malformation that can present as an asymptomatic, unilocular, upper abdominal cystic mass in the fetus. CASES: We report two cases of congenital hepatic cyst in which the diagnosis was made by prenatal ultrasound at 25 and 33 weeks' gestation. The diagnosis was confirmed postnatally by abdominal ultrasound and radiologic imaging studies. Although the infants remained asymptomatic, laparoscopic excision was performed due to the increasing size of the cyst in both cases. Pathological examination of the resected specimens confirmed a simple cyst in one case and an epidermoid cyst in the other. CONCLUSIONS: Our cases and those described in the literature demonstrate the usefulness of incidental prenatal detection of congenital hepatic cyst, especially during late pregnancy. Such a diagnosis can allow for proper perinatal surveillance, selection of the route of delivery, and timely postnatal surgical intervention if required.

[The implementation of a Biobank network for Chile]. / Una red de biobancos para Chile: investigar hoy, para curar mañana.

The concept "Biobank" is relatively new in the scientific literature, and is not yet consensually defined, even for the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the use of human samples in biomedical research is a very old activity. The organized development of Biobanks in different places has grown in the last decade. The experience in different countries and continents has been diverse. In this special article we intend to summarize, organize and communicate to the national medical and scientific community, (i) the concept of Biobank, (ii) the international experience and a map of the Research Biobanks working in Chile, (iii) the basic biomedical and essential operational aspects to manage a Biobank for Research and (iv) the impact of a National Network of Biobanks implementation in the Chilean Health System. Ethical and regulatory aspects will not be included, given their intrinsic complexity, which should be discussed elsewhere.

Una red de biobancos para Chile: investigar hoy, para curar mañana / The implementation of a Biobank network for Chile

The concept "Biobank" is relatively new in the scientific literature, and is not yet consensually defined, even for the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the use of human samples in biomedical research is a very old activity. The organized development of Biobanks in different places has grown in the last decade. The experience in different countries and continents has been diverse. In this special article we intend to summarize, organize and communicate to the national medical and scientific community, (i) the concept of Biobank, (ii) the international experience and a map of the Research Biobanks working in Chile, (iii) the basic biomedical and essential operational aspects to manage a Biobank for Research and (iv) the impact of a National Network of Biobanks implementation in the Chilean Health System. Ethical and regulatory aspects will not be included, given their intrinsic complexity, which should be discussed elsewhere.

[Central nervous system infection by Bartonella henselae associated with a choroid plexus papilloma]. / Infección por Bartonella henselae con compromiso de sistema nervioso central, asociado a un papiloma del plexo coroídeo.

Bartonella henselae infection is a prevalent illness in Chile. It presents generally as a cat scratch disease or as a prolonged fever syndrome. There are atypical manifestations, which include central nervous system, bone, cardiac and hepato-esplenic compromised. We present an adolescent case with a history of fever, vomiting and ataxia, whose diagnosis was a central nervous system infection by Bartonella henselae associated with a choroid plexus papilloma. This case corresponds to an unusual presentation, with a challenging diagnosis. It is controversial whether to treat this patient, which antimicrobial is the right choice and how long the treatment should be.

Corrigendum: Helicobacter pylori cagA+ Is Associated with Milder Duodenal Histological Changes in Chilean Celiac Patients.

[This corrects the article on p. 376 in vol. 7, PMID: 28879170.].

Helicobacter pylori cagA+ Is Associated with Milder Duodenal Histological Changes in Chilean Celiac Patients.

HIGHLIGHTS What is already known about this subject?Celiac disease (CD) has a high clinical and histological diversity and the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain elusive.H. pylori is a bacterium that chronically infect gastric and duodenal mucosa activating both a Th1/Th17 and T-reg pathways.The role of H. pylori (and the effect of their virulence factors) in CD have not yet completely elucidated.What are the new findings?cagA+ H. pylori strains are associated to milder histological damage in infected CD patients.In active-CD patients the presence of cagA+ H. pylori is associated to an increase in T-reg markers, contrasting with a downregulation in cagA+ infected potential-CD individuals.How might it impact on clinical practice in the foreseeable future?The identification of microbiological factors that could modulate inflammation and clinical expression of CD may be used in the future as preventive strategies or as supplementary treatment in patients that cannot achieve complete remission, contributing to the better care of these patients. Background: Mechanisms underlying the high clinical and histological diversity of celiac disease (CD) remain elusive. Helicobacter pylori (Hp) chronically infects gastric and duodenal mucosa and has been associated with protection against some immune-mediated conditions, but its role (specifically of cagA+ strains) in CD is unclear. Objective: To assess the relationship between gastric Hp infection (cagA+ strains) and duodenal histological damage in patients with CD. Design: Case-control study including patients with active-CD, potential-CD and non-celiac individuals. Clinical presentation, HLA genotype, Hp/cagA gene detection in gastric mucosa, duodenal histology, Foxp3 positive cells and TGF-ß expression in duodenal lamina propria were analyzed. Results: We recruited 116 patients, 29 active-CD, 37 potential-CD, and 50 non-CD controls. Hp detection was similar in the three groups (~30-40%), but cagA+ strains were more common in infected potential-CD than in active-CD (10/11 vs. 4/10; p = 0.020) and non-CD (10/20; p = 0.025). Among active-CD patients, Foxp3 positivity was significantly higher in subjects with cagA+ Hp+ compared to cagA- Hp+ (p < 0.01) and Hp- (p < 0.01). In cagA+ Hp+ individuals, Foxp3 positivity was also higher comparing active- to potential-CD (p < 0.01). TGF-ß expression in duodenum was similar in active-CD with cagA+ Hp+ compared to Hp- and was significantly downregulated in cagA+ potential-CD subjects compared to other groups. Conclusion: Hp infection rates were similar among individuals with/without CD, but infection with cagA+ strains was associated with milder histological damage in celiac patients infected by Hp, and in active-CD cases with higher expression of T-reg markers. Results suggest that infection by cagA+ Hp may be protective for CD progression, or conversely, that these strains are prone to colonize intestinal mucosa with less severe damage.

Infección por Bartonella henselae con compromiso de sistema nervioso central, asociado a un papiloma del plexo coroídeo / Central nervous system infection by Bartonella henselae associated with a choroid plexus papilloma

Resumen La infección por Bartonella henselae es una enfermedad prevalente en nuestro país. En general, se presenta como la enfermedad por arañazo de gato o un síndrome febril prolongado. Existen manifestaciones atípicas dentro de las cuales está el compromiso óseo, cardíaco, hepatoesplénico y del sistema nervioso central. Se presenta el caso de una adolescente con historia de vómitos, fiebre y ataxia, en que se diagnosticó una infección por Bartonella henselae con compromiso del sistema nervioso central, asociada a un papiloma del plexo coroídeo. Este caso corresponde a una presentación inusual, de difícil diagnóstico. Su tratamiento es motivo de controversia, tanto en si es necesario tratar, la elección del antimicrobiano, como su duración.

Bartonella henselae infection is a prevalent illness in Chile. It presents generally as a cat scratch disease or as a prolonged fever syndrome. There are atypical manifestations, which include central nervous system, bone, cardiac and hepato-esplenic compromised. We present an adolescent case with a history of fever, vomiting and ataxia, whose diagnosis was a central nervous system infection by Bartonella henselae associated with a choroid plexus papilloma. This case corresponds to an unusual presentation, with a challenging diagnosis. It is controversial whether to treat this patient, which antimicrobial is the right choice and how long the treatment should be.