Giant Meningioma Diagnosis and Clinical Treatment: A Case Report.

This case report shows the importance of semiology during a clinical examination not only to diagnose spine clinical symptoms but also to review the central nervous system tumor as a foot drop cause. We report a unique case of a patient who consulted for constant progressive numbness and motor symptoms in the right lower extremity. Lumbar CT and MRI were negative for acute or chronic lumbar pathology. This is a 41-year-old female patient with a history of eight-month progressive right leg weakness. The physical examination did not reveal neurological alterations besides foot drop. MRI and lumbar X-rays showed no significant findings. Electromyography (EMG) indicated right peroneal neuropathy. Based on these findings, surgical treatment was not indicated; therefore, physical therapy and a referral to neurology were indicated. However, symptoms increased, resulting in a right lower extremity hemiparesis. A brain MRI showed a left frontoparietal giant meningioma, which was surgically resected after embolization. The patient evolved with a full recovery of the right-sided hemiparesis after surgery. Our case highlights the foot drop's multiple etiologies. Initially, a lumbar disc hernia was suspected, but it was ruled out by imaging studies. Later, the EMG revealed peroneal neuropathy, leading to a neurology consult. Unexpectedly, a giant intracranial meningioma was found, a rare case of foot drop. A consideration of upper motor neuron (UMN) and lower motor neuron (LMN) syndromes aided diagnosis. Tumoral resection with embolization resulted in significant improvement, showcasing the complexities of such cases. Foot drop is a peculiar clinical manifestation that must have an integral assessment to rule out peripheral and central causes. Even rare, giant meningiomas can cause focalized symptoms such as foot drop. Therefore, the assessment of foot drop should include the CT and MRI of the central nervous system.

Augmentation in the repair of traumatic patellar tendon ruptures. A novel mechanical and biological construct: Technical note.

Patellar tendon ruptures are infrequent and potentially disabling injuries. These injuries are usually repaired with transosseous suture tunnels. However, this technique can produce a significant gap formation and prolonged postoperative immobilization. Although several techniques have been described to improve the integrity of the repair, the surgical technique of choice is a matter of debate especially when there is tissue loss due to high-energy trauma. This study aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with acute patellar tendon ruptures due to high-energy trauma treated with a novel construct configuration that includes a suture anchor and a figure-of-eight augmentation with hamstring autograft with medial and lateral reinforcement. To determine the clinical outcomes the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score was obtained pre-surgery and at 12 months of follow-up. A total of six patients were recruited, with a median age of 27.5 years, five of these were male. Three lesions were in the proximal pole of the tendon, two were mid-substance and one was in the junction with tibial tuberosity. The IKDC clinical score significantly increased from pre-surgery to the 12-month follow-up with a median difference of 32.8 (95% CI, 19.5-42.6, p = 0.0313). Likewise, the patients presented a post-surgery quadriceps strength level with a median of 5/5. All patients had full active knee extension with a median of 0-120°. There was no statistical difference in the range of motion comparing the surgical knee to the contralateral knee (p = 0.6883). No patient presented any type of reintervention or complication during the follow-up period. The configuration of the construct presented in the technique had not been reported before in the literature and combines the advantages of the use of suture anchors and biological augmentation with lateral and medial reinforcement. This technique may be useful in patients with traumatic injuries with and without loss of tissue. Although it is a small series with concomitant injuries, satisfactory clinical results were presented during follow-up.

Cytokine Profile in Children with Severe Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019.

The multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a novel and concerning entity related to severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Although MIS-C has been the subject of intensive research efforts, its pathophysiology and optimal treatment remain elusive. We studied the clinical features, laboratory findings, and immunoinflammatory profiles of seven children prospectively admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) during the first wave of the pandemic. All patients had immunoglobulin (Ig)-G against SARS-CoV-2, four of seven patients had both IgM and IgG, and in one of the 7 SARS-CoV-2 was detected in a respiratory sample. All patients received intravenous fluid boluses (median: 15 mL/kg) and norepinephrine. The most common form of respiratory support was supplemental oxygen via nasal cannula. None of the patients needed mechanical ventilation. The cardiovascular system was frequently involved. All patients had an elevated troponin-I (median: 107.3 ng/L). Four out of seven patients had coronary artery abnormalities, and two of seven had both abnormal electrocardiogram (EKG) findings and evidence of left ventricular dysfunction on echocardiogram. Ig levels and complement function were normal. Peripheral blood phenotyping with flow cytometry showed decreased T-cell numbers at the expense of CD8+ T-cells. Cytokine profiling showed a heterogeneous increase in interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-18, IL-2Ra, IL-10, and IL-1Ra that tended to normalize after treatment. Our study shows that children with MIS-C have elevated plasma levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the acute phase of the disease without other relevant immunologic disturbances. These findings suggest the presence of a mixed antagonist response syndrome (MARS) similar to that present in pediatric sepsis. Combining a meticulous differential diagnosis with cautiously coordinated immunomodulatory therapy and high-quality supportive care can help clinicians avoid causing iatrogenic harm in patients with MIS-C.

Molecular diagnosis of bacteremia in a pediatric intensive care unit: a step forward.

Aim: T2Bacteria® Panel detects six ESKAPE pathogens in around 3.5 h directly in whole blood. Our aim was to compare T2Bacteria with simultaneous blood culture in critically ill children with suspected bloodstream infection. Materials & methods: Retrospective study of critically ill children admitted to our tertiary-care center (2018-2020). Results: A total of 60 patients were recruited, including 63 episodes and 75 T2Bacteria/blood cultures were performed. Overall agreement between T2Bacteria and blood culture was 78.7% with a discordance of 21.3% (16/75 samples). Conclusion: T2Bacteria Panel may be useful in critically ill children providing an accurate and fast diagnosis of bacteremia directly from blood sample and detecting pathogens not recovered in blood cultures.

Lower nasopharyngeal viral loads in pediatric population. The missing piece to understand SARS-CoV-2 infection in children?

SARS-CoV-2 virus infects children but, contrary to other respiratory viruses, children tend to be asymptomatic or to have less symptoms than adults and are rarely the index case in household transmission chains. The aim of this study was to compare the relative viral loads in nasopharyngeal samples from children aged 0 to 17 years with those of an adult population. We selected 126 positive nasopharyngeal samples from children. Relative viral loads were measured by RT-PCR and the comparative ∆Ct method using primers and probes targeting the viral gene E and the human RNAseP. Relative viral loads were significantly lower in the children population than in the adult one.

Are Automated and Visual Greulich and Pyle-Based Methods Applicable to Caucasian European Children With a Moroccan Ethnic Origin When Assessing Bone Age?

Introduction To test the accuracy of the visual and automated bone age assessment base on the Greulich and Pyle (GP) method in healthy Caucasian European children with a Moroccan ethnic origin. Material and methods Moroccan Caucasian (MC) children were retrospectively and consecutively enrolled along with age- and sex-matched control group (CG) of European Caucasian (EC) children enrolled from the general population. The two groups included 423 children aged from 2 to 15 years with a normal left-hand radiograph performed to rule out a trauma between March 2008 and December 2017. One radiologist, blinded to the BoneXpert® (Visiana, Holte, Denmark) estimates, visually reviewed the radiographs using the GP atlas. The BoneXpert® automatically analysed all 423 radiographs. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), linear regression and Bland-Altman plots were performed to describe the agreement between each method and the chronological age (CA) and the agreement between the two methods. Results Visual bone age assessment was related to the CA in both girls (MC ICC 0.97; EC ICC 0.97) and boys (MC ICC 0.95; EC ICC 0.96). Automated bone age assessment was related to the CA in both girls (MC ICC 0.97; EC ICC 0.96) and boys (MC ICC 0.88; EC ICC 0.96). Bland-Altman plots showed an excellent agreement between the two methods in both sexes and ethnicities before puberty especially in Moroccan boys. Conclusion Visual and automatic bone age assessment based on the GP method, previously validated in the general population of Caucasian European children, can be confidently used in healthy Caucasian European children with a Moroccan ethnic origin.

Candidemia Diagnosis With T2 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in a PICU: A New Approach.

OBJECTIVES: Early diagnosis of invasive Candida infections is a challenge for pediatricians, intensivists, and microbiologists. To fill this gap, a new nanodiagnostic method has been developed using manual application of T2 nuclear magnetic resonance to detect Candida species. The aim of this study was to evaluate, prospectively, the usefulness as a tool diagnosis of the T2Candida panel in pediatric patients admitted at the PICU compared with blood culture. DESIGN: This is a prospective, observational, and unicentric study to compare T2Candida results with simultaneous blood cultures for candidemia diagnose. SETTING: This study was carried out in a 1,300-bed tertiary care hospital with a 16-bed medical-surgical PICU. PATIENTS: Sixty-three patients from 0 to 17 years old were enrolled in this study, including those undergoing solid organ transplantation (kidney, liver, pulmonary, multivisceral, intestinal, and heart) and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Seven patients were positive by the T2Candida test. Only two of them had the simultaneous positive blood culture. T2Candida yielded more positive results than blood cultures. CONCLUSIONS: T2Candida might be useful for the diagnosis of candidemia in PICUs. The prevalence of candidemia might be underestimated in this pediatric population. The use of this diagnostic tool in these units may help clinicians to start adequate and timely antifungal treatments.

Proliferative Fasciitis of the Hand in a Nine-Year-Old Girl: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Proliferative fasciitis (PF) of the hand is a rare condition, which typically occurs in adulthood. To date, only two dozen cases of PF have been reported in children. This benign condition can mimic malignant soft tissue tumors such as soft tissue sarcoma. We present a case of histopathologically confirmed PF of the fifth right finger in a nine-year-old girl, along with the imaging workup. We also provide a review of the previous literature on PF in children.

Prevention and Treatment of Sarcopenic Obesity in Women.

Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is referred to as the combination of obesity with low skeletal muscle mass and function. However, its definition and diagnosis is debated. SO represents a sizable risk factor for the development of disability, possibly with a worse prognosis in women. The present narrative review summarizes the current evidence on pharmacological, nutrition and exercise strategies on the prevention and/or treatment of SO in middle-aged and older-aged women. A literature search was carried out in Medline and Google Scholar between 29th January and 14th March 2019. Only controlled intervention studies on mid-age and older women whose focus was on the prevention and/or treatment of sarcopenia associated with obesity were included. Resistance training (RT) appears effective in the prevention of all components of SO in women, resulting in significant improvements in muscular mass, strength, and functional capacity plus loss of fat mass, especially when coupled with hypocaloric diets containing at least 0.8 g/kg body weight protein. Correction of vitamin D deficit has a favorable effect on muscle mass. Treatment of SO already established is yet unsatisfactory, although intense and prolonged RT, diets with higher (1.2 g/kg body weight) protein content, and soy isoflavones all look promising. However, further confirmatory research and trials combining different approaches are required.

Tiroidopatías autoimmunes juveniles y poliautoinmunidad / Tiroidopatias juvenile autoimmune and poliautoinmunidad

ntroducción y objetivo: Las tiroidopatias autoimmunes juveniles (TAIJ) son las enfermeda-des órgano específicas más comunes y con frecuencia hacen parte de la enfermedad autoin-mune múltiple (EAIM). El objetivo del estudio es determinar el tipo y frecuencia de TAIJ en pacientes con poliautoinmunidad. Métodos: En un registro de pacientes juveniles que du-rante el seguimiento en 13 centros de reumatología pediátrica, han asociado enfermedades autoinmunes (EAI), se identificaron pacientes con TAIJ.

¿Existen diferencias en la expresión clínica del síndrome antifosfolipídico juvenil en función del género? / Are there differences in the clinical expression of the gender youth antiphospholipid syndrome?

Introduccion: El síndrome antifosfolipídico (SAF) condiciona hipercoagulabilidad y pue-de provocar manifestaciones no trombóticas. Se asocia o no a otra enfermedad autoinmune (EAI). En el presente estudio se exploraron diferencias entre géneros en cohortes de pacientes juveniles con SAF. Métodos: Estudio retrospectivo descriptivo. Se revisaron historias clínicas de pacientes con SAF seguidos en 13 centros de reumatología pediátrica en Colombia y en Hospital San Joan (Barcelona, España). Se determinaron variables demográficas y frecuencia de manifestaciones clínicas y resultados serológicos.

Uveítis crónica en la artritis idiopática juvenil. Impacto pronóstico / Chronic Uveitis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Impact forecasting

Introducción y objetivo: La uveitis en la artritis idiopática juvenil (AIJ) es causa de importan-te morbilidad. La cronicidad de inflamación intraocular determina severidad de complicacio-nes y secuelas. El objetivo del estudio es evaluar la extensión, tratamiento y complicaciones de la uveítis crónica en pacientes con AIJ. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo. Se in-cluyeron pacientes con seguimiento mínimo de 24 meses por oftalmología y reumatología. Se analizaron variables dermográficas, clínicas, complicaciones y tratamiento. La uveitis se eva-luó según clasificación SUN (standardization of uveítis nomenclature).

Comparative study of a novel application of automated HR HPV assay and stability in a previously untested Preservative media.

BACKGROUND: The suitability and stability of cervical cells in Novaprep media (NHQ) for certain HPV assays is unknown. METHODS: We evaluated the accuracy of an automated HPV assay (Abbott RealTime HR HPV) for cervical cells prepared in NHQ and NHQ with a pre-treatment to mimic a worst case clinical use, compared to the assay manufacturers media; repeatability and reproducibility of HPV results and the stability of detectable HPV in NHQ over time compared to CE marked liquid based cytology preservatives. Cell lines were used to simulate patient samples. RESULTS: Cells stored in NHQ produced accurate, repeatable and reproducible results. Stability in NHQ was comparable to the best performing LBC, with at least 7 months' stability at 18-25°C, 2-8°C, -20°C and -80°C; and at least 3 months' stability at 40°C. Similar results were obtained for pre-treated NHQ except only 3.5 months' stability at 18-25°C. Cell line samples in all media and concentrations tested were detected appropriately by the assay. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this first stage validation analytical study, cervical cells stored in NHQ are suitable for the Realtime HPV assay. There should be no reservations for inclusion of NHQ in any further validation and clinical performance evaluation of this assay.

Recurrent ocular surface inflammation associated with human herpesvirus 6 infection.

OBJECTIVES: To report a case of atypical herpes keratitis and bilateral conjunctivitis associated with human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6). METHODS: An immunocompetent 34-year-old man was referred for herpetic epithelial keratitis in his left eye, which was non-responsive to topical acyclovir. Biomicroscopy revealed a central dendritic ulcer with a white stromal infiltrate beneath the ulcer. RESULTS: The corneal scraping multiplex polymerase chain reaction (CLART ENTHERPEX, Genomica, Spain) was positive for HHV-6 and negative for herpes simplex virus, varicella zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus. An improvement of the keratitis and visual acuity was achieved with topical fluorometholone and systemic valacyclovir. One year later, the patient complained of redness of the eyes. A slit-lamp examination disclosed bilateral follicular conjunctivitis, and HHV-6 DNA was once again detected in a conjunctival scraping of both eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Human herpesvirus 6 may be another causative agent for corneal ulcers and conjunctivitis in isolation. Stromal necrosis is a rare manifestation of herpetic dendritic keratitis. In these cases, we should consider the presence of HHV-6 in the differential diagnosis, even in immunocompetent patients.

Efectos de los nutrientes y compuestos bioactivos de los alimentos en tejidos y células de cáncer humano: aproximación nutrigenómica / Effects of nutrients and bioactive compounds of foods in tissues and cells of human cancer: nutrigenomics approach

Resumen El cáncer es una condición de programación genética anormal en la cual cambios en la secuencia genómica alteran la estructura, función y expresión de proteínas que controlan procesos celulares esenciales como el crecimiento, la proliferación, la diferenciación y la apoptosis. Investigaciones en nutrición y cáncer han analizado los efectos de determinados nutrientes y compuestos bioactivos de los alimentos en el desarrollo y evolución de diversos tipos de cáncer. El objetivo de esta investigación fue revisar, en la información científica reciente, los efectos o interacciones de los nutrientes y compuestos bioactivos de los alimentos en tejidos y/o células de cáncer humano bajo una aproximación nutrigenómica. Se realizó una búsqueda de los artículos, publicados entre enero de 2011 y octubre de 2012, en la base de datos Pubmed, utilizando términos MeSH y "Text Word" relevantes para el objetivo de investigación. De esta búsqueda se obtuvo un total de 250 publicaciones de los cuales se seleccionaron 33. En general, los efectos e interacciones de los nutrientes y compuestos bioactivos selectivamente inducen la muerte e inhiben el crecimiento y proliferación de las células cancerígenas; sin embargo, bajo ciertas condiciones, dichos efectos e interacciones pueden promover la carcinogénesis.

Summary Cancer is a genetic programming abnormal condition in which the change in genomic sequence may alter the structure, function and expression of proteins that control essential cellular processes such as growth, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Nutrition and cancer research have analyzed the effects of certain nutrients and bioactive food compounds in the development and progression of various cancers. The aim of this research was to review, in the recent scientific information, the effects or interactions of nutrients and bioactive food compounds in tissue and cells of human cancer under a nutrigenomics approach. We did a search of articles published between January 2011 and October 2012 in the Pubmed database, using MeSH terms and "Text Word" relevant to the research objective. This search yielded 250 publications which 33 were selected. In general, the effects and interactions of the nutrients and bioactive compounds selectively induce death and inhibit the growth and proliferation of cancer cells, however, under certain conditions, such effects and interactions may promote carcinogenesis.

Community-acquired pneumonia during the first post-pandemic influenza season: a prospective, multicentre cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the aetiology, clinical features and prognosis of CAP during the first post-pandemic influenza season. We also assessed the factors associated with severe disease and tested the ability of a scoring system for identifying influenza A (H1N1)pdm09-related pneumonia. METHODS: Prospective cohort study carried out at 10 tertiary hospitals of Spain. All adults hospitalised with CAP from December 01, 2010 to March 31, 2011 were analysed. RESULTS: A total of 747 adults with CAP required hospitalisation. The aetiology was determined in 315 (42.2%) patients, in whom 154 (21.9%) were due to bacteria, 125 (16.7%) were due to viruses and 36 (4.8%) were mixed (due to viruses and bacteria). The most frequently isolated bacteria were Streptococccus pneumoniae. Among patients with viral pneumonia, the most common organism identified were influenza A (H1N1)pdm09. Independent factors associated with severe disease were impaired consciousness, septic shock, tachypnea, hyponatremia, hypoxemia, influenza B, and influenza A (H1N1)pdm09. The scoring system evaluated did not differentiate reliably between patients with influenza A (H1N1)pdm09-related pneumonia and those with other aetiologies. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of bacterial and viral pneumonia during the first post-pandemic influenza season was similar. The main identified virus was influenza A (H1N1)pdm09, which was associated with severe disease. Although certain presenting clinical features may allow recognition of influenza A (H1N1)pdm09-related pneumonia, it is difficult to express them in a reliable scoring system.

Pandemic H1N1 influenza-associated hospitalizations in children in Madrid, Spain.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children hospitalized with 2009 pandemic influenza (pH1N1) in Madrid, Spain. PATIENTS/METHODS: We included patients less than 14 years of age admitted to one of 18 hospitals in Madrid, Spain, between May 1 and November 30, 2009 and diagnosed with pH1N1 by polymerase chain reaction. A retrospective chart review was conducted and data were compared by age, presence of high-risk medical conditions, and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. RESULTS: A total of 517 pH1N1 cases were included for final analysis. One hundred and forty-two patients (27·5%) had predisposing underlying illnesses, with immunosuppression (36 children, 7%) and moderate persistent asthma (34, 6·6%) being the most common ones. Patients with underlying medical conditions had longer hospital stays [median 5, interquartile range (IQR) 3-8 days, versus median 4, IQR 3-6, P < 0·001] and required intensive care (20·4% versus 5·9%, P < 0·001) and mechanical ventilation more frequently than previously healthy children. Globally, intensive care was required for 51 patients (10%) and invasive mechanical ventilation for 12 (2%). Pediatric intensive care unit admission was significantly associated with abnormal initial chest X-ray [Odds Ratio (OR) 3·5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·5-8·5], underlying neurological condition (OR 3·1, CI 1·2-7·5) and immunosuppression (OR 2·9, 1·2-6·8). Five patients (0·9%) died; two with severe neurological disease, two with leukemia, and one with a malignant solid tumor. CONCLUSIONS: Children with underlying medical conditions experienced more severe pH1N1 disease. Risk factors for admission to the PICU included underlying neurological conditions, immunosuppression and abnormal initial chest X-ray.

Myocarditis caused by human parainfluenza virus in an immunocompetent child initially associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus.

The association between respiratory viruses and myocarditis has hardly ever been described. We report a case of acute myocarditis in an immunocompetent child associated with the presence of parainfluenza virus type 3 infection, in a context of recent influenza illness, confirmed by molecular and serological studies.