Neutrophilic dermatosis in a patient with an IKZF1 variant and a review of monogenic autoinflammatory disorders presenting with neutrophilic dermatoses.

Monogenic diseases of immune dysregulation should be considered in the evaluation of children presenting with recurrent neutrophilic dermatoses in association with systemic signs of inflammation, autoimmune disease, hematologic abnormalities, and opportunistic or recurrent infections. We report the case of a 2-year-old boy presenting with a neutrophilic dermatosis, found to have a novel likely pathogenic germline variant of the IKAROS Family Zinc Finger 1 (IKZF1) gene; the mutation likely results in a loss of function dimerization defective protein based on reports and studies of similar variants. IKZF1 variants could potentially lead to aberrant neutrophil chemotaxis and development of neutrophilic dermatoses. Long-term surveillance is required to monitor the development of hematologic malignancy, autoimmunity, immunodeficiency, and infection in patients with pathogenic IKZF1 germline variants.

Management of Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, Adenitis with Intracapsular Tonsillectomy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to present 2 children clinically diagnosed with periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome and treated with intracapsular tonsillectomy with adenoidectomy (ITA). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 2 children who were referred for an otolaryngology consultation between 2019 and 2022 for surgical treatment of PFAPA syndrome. Both patients had symptoms strongly suggestive of PFAPA and were at risk for total tonsillectomy (TT) complications. ITA was performed using a microdebrider. Both patients were followed up postoperatively to assess for symptomatic resolution and complications. RESULTS: Two children exhibited recurrent febrile episodes prior to ITA. The procedure was efficacious in both patients, with neither experiencing postoperative complications or recurring PFAPA symptoms for over 1 year after surgery. CONCLUSION: Our study reported on the use of ITA as a surgical treatment option for PFAPA. We showed that ITA eliminated febrile attacks and was safely performed without postoperative complications in 2 pediatric patients after 1-year follow-up. Future studies involving larger cohorts of PFAPA patients and lengthier follow-ups will need to be conducted to further evaluate ITA as a surgical option. Laryngoscope, 134:1967-1969, 2024.

Anifrolumab for Adolescent Discoid Lupus Erythematosus.

This case series describes the outcomes among adolescent patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and refractory discoid lupus erythematosus treated with anifrolumab.

Lupus anti-coagulant hypoprothrombinemia syndrome across different ages: a case report and review of the literature.

Lupus anti-coagulant hypoprothrombinemia syndrome (LAHPS) is a rare condition that can be difficult to treat. It increases the risk of thrombosis and bleeding due to the presence of lupus anti-coagulant and factor II deficiency, respectively. There are a limited number of cases described in the literature. Herein we describe a case of LAHPS with bleeding symptoms as a first clinical manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in an 8-year-old female. She has had multiple recurrences of her bleeding symptoms, requiring treatment with steroids, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, and rituximab. Her course was later complicated by development of arthritis and lupus nephritis. Her complicated course provides a new perspective on the clinical course and treatment of LAHPS. We also present a comprehensive literature review which demonstrates the difficulty in treating patients with LAHPS with underlying SLE and the variability of the clinical course and management of LAHPS depending on the age at presentation.

Synchronous disease onset and flares in siblings with PFAPA.

BACKGROUND: Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis (PFAPA) is a clinical syndrome of unclear etiology. PFAPA has generally been considered a non-hereditary fever syndrome; however, this has been called into question with recent reports of family clustering. Few reports have been published describing siblings with PFAPA. To our knowledge, this is the first report of siblings with near simultaneous onset of disease followed by synchronous disease flares. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of near simultaneous onset of periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis in siblings followed by synchronous disease flares of clear frequency and nearly identical character. Flares were characterized predominantly by fever, aphthous ulceration, cervical lymphadenitis, and the absence of infection. The fever episodes demonstrated a robust response to glucocorticoids and recurred in the same staggered manner every four weeks, with complete absence of symptoms and normal growth and development between episodes. Nine months after onset, the older sibling, a 5-year-old female, underwent tonsillectomy resulting in dramatic resolution of episodes. At the same time, her 2-year-old sister experienced resolution of her fever episodes, though she did not undergo tonsillectomy herself. CONCLUSION: This is an unusual case of simultaneous onset PFAPA followed by synchronous disease flares. PFAPA is an uncommon clinical syndrome, and it is rarely diagnosed in siblings. The etiology of PFAPA remains unclear. Though the disease is classically considered sporadic, there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that PFAPA may be heritable.

Mucocutaneous Manifestations of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Importance: To date, no study has characterized the mucocutaneous features seen in hospitalized children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) or the temporal association of these findings with the onset of systemic symptoms. Objective: To describe the mucocutaneous findings seen in children with MIS-C during the height of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in New York City in 2020. Design, Setting, and Participants: A retrospective case series was conducted of 35 children admitted to 2 hospitals in New York City between April 1 and July 14, 2020, who met Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and/or epidemiologic criteria for MIS-C. Main Outcomes and Measures: Laboratory and clinical characteristics, with emphasis on mucocutaneous findings, of children who met criteria for MIS-C. The characterization of mucocutaneous features was verified by 2 board-certified pediatric dermatologists. Results: Twenty-five children (11 girls [44%]; median age, 3 years [range, 0.7-17 years]) were identified who met definitional criteria for MIS-C; an additional 10 children (5 girls [50%]; median age, 1.7 years [range, 0.2-15 years]) were included as probable MIS-C cases (patients met all criteria with the exception of laboratory test evidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2] infection or known exposure). The results of polymerase chain reaction tests for SARS-CoV-2 were positive for 10 patients (29%), and the results of SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G tests were positive for 19 patients (54%). Of the 35 patients, 29 (83%) exhibited mucocutaneous changes, with conjunctival injection (n = 21), palmoplantar erythema (n = 18), lip hyperemia (n = 17), periorbital erythema and edema (n = 7), strawberry tongue (n = 8), and malar erythema (n = 6) being the most common findings. Recognition of mucocutaneous findings occurred a mean of 2.7 days (range, 1-7 days) after the onset of fever. The duration of mucocutaneous findings varied from hours to days (median duration, 5 days [range, 0-11 days]). Neither the presence nor absence of mucocutaneous findings was significantly associated with overall disease severity. Conclusions and Relevance: In this case series of hospitalized children with suspected MIS-C during the COVID-19 pandemic, a wide spectrum of mucocutaneous findings was identified. Despite their protean and transient nature, these mucocutaneous features serve as important clues in the recognition of MIS-C.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis - what the clinician needs to know.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) includes several forms of chronic arthritis in childhood with no apparent cause. JIA is the most common rheumatic disease in children, and may result in pain, joint deformity, and growth im- pairment, with possible persistent active arthritis into adulthood. Prior treatment involved non-specific agents, several with significant adverse effects. The recent use of biologics now provides target-specific therapy, which may be better tolerated. Through continued translational research and clinical trials, one better understands the biology mediating disease, with the hope of offering safer, more effective medicine, and potential cure. This review will outline the clinical features of JIA, as well as provide the latest updates in treatment.

Asymptomatic giant coronary aneurysm in an adolescent with Behcet's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Behcet's is an idiopathic multi-organ syndrome, which may have onset during childhood. Vascular involvement is uncommon, with rarely reported coronary aneurysm formation. We present a case report of a teenager girl who developed recalcitrant life-threatening Behcet's vasculitis, involving both small and large venous and arterial systems including a giant coronary aneurysm. CASE REPORT: De-identified data were collected retrospectively in case report format. Although our sixteen year old female with Behcet's vasculitis had resolution of many arterial aneurysms, she had persistent venous thrombosis of large vessels, as well as persistent, giant arterial aneurysms requiring intra-arterial coiling of a lumbar artery and coronary bypass grafting despite intensive immunosuppression including glucocorticoids, cyclophosphamide, infliximab, methotrexate, azathioprine and intravenous immunoglobulin. CONCLUSIONS: Vascular manifestations may be seen in Behcet's syndrome, including asymptomatic coronary aneurysm, which may be refractory to immunosuppression and ultimately require surgical intervention. Increased awareness is essential for prompt diagnosis and management.

Neurocognitive impairment in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: measurement issues in diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of neurocognitive impairment (NCI) in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) by comparing published classification criteria, and to examine associations between NCI, disease characteristics, psychosocial well-being, and intelligence. METHODS: cSLE patients and ethnicity- and age-matched healthy controls completed a neuropsychological research battery, and results were categorized by 3 different NCI classification criteria with different cutoff scores (e.g., >2, 1.5, or 1 SD below the mean) and the number of required abnormal tests or domains. RESULTS: Forty-one cSLE subjects and 22 controls were included. Subjects were predominantly female (~70%) and Hispanic (∼70%). Executive functioning, psychomotor speed, and fine motor speed were most commonly affected. Method 1 classified 34.1% of cSLE subjects with NCI compared to method 2 (14.6% with decline and 7.3% with NCI) and method 3 (63.4% with NCI). The prevalence of NCI was not significantly different between the controls and patients using any of the categorization methods. NCI was not associated with SLE disease activity or characteristics or with depression. Using method 3, patients in the cognitive impairment group reported significantly lower quality of life estimates (69.7 versus 79.3; P = 0.03). Below average intellectual functioning (intelligence quotient <90) differentiated the number of test scores >1 and >1.5 SDs, but not >2 SDs below the mean. CONCLUSION: NCI was prevalent in cSLE, but varied according to the chosen categorization method. A similar proportion of cSLE patients and controls had NCI, reinforcing the importance of studying an appropriate control group. Categorical classification (i.e., impaired/nonimpaired) may oversimplify the commonly observed deficits in cSLE.

Favorable outcome of juvenile dermatomyositis treated without systemic corticosteroids.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the course of patients with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) treated effectively without systemic corticosteroids. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study of 38 patients with JDM treated at a tertiary care children's hospital identified 8 patients who had never received corticosteroids. Disease presentation and course, pharmacologic, and ancillary treatments were recorded. RESULTS: Patients in the no corticosteroid group were followed for a median of 2.8 years (range, 2.1 to 9.5 years). Treatment was primarily with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) (75%) and methotrexate (50%), with favorable response in all. No serious treatment complications were observed; headaches were reported by 3 patients receiving IVIG. Two patients had a myositis flare after discontinuing all medications for more than 1 year; complete resolution of symptoms was observed after either 1 or 2 further doses of IVIG. Two patients had calcinosis (at 1 and 9 years of disease); however, no patient had joint contractures, muscle atrophy, lipodystrophy, or functional limitations. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic corticosteroids can be avoided in a select group of patients with JDM. Alternative agents such as methotrexate and IVIG may be prescribed to effectively treat JDM and prevent complications.