Pulmonary imaging in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a series of 140 Latin American children.

BACKGROUND: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which resulted in the worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic of 2020, has particularly affected Latin America. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to analyze the imaging findings of pulmonary COVID-19 in a large pediatric series. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Children with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by either quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction from nasopharyngeal swabs or presence of circulating immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies and who underwent chest radiograph or CT or both were included in this retrospective multicenter study. Three pediatric radiologists independently reviewed radiographs and CTs to identify the presence, localization, distribution and extension of pulmonary lesions. RESULTS: We included 140 children (71 female; median age 6.3 years, interquartile range 1.6-12.1 years) in the study. Peribronchial thickening (93%), ground-glass opacities (79%) and vascular engorgement (63%) were the most frequent findings on 131 radiographs. Ground-glass opacities (91%), vascular engorgement (84%) and peribronchial thickening (72%) were the most frequent findings on 32 CTs. Peribronchial thickening (100%), ground-glass opacities (83%) and pulmonary vascular engorgement (79%) were common radiograph findings in asymptomatic children (n=25). Ground-glass opacity and consolidation were significantly higher in children who needed intensive care admission or died (92% and 48%), in contrast with children with a favorable outcome (71% and 24%, respectively; P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic children and those with mild symptoms of COVID-19 showed mainly peribronchial thickening, ground-glass opacities and pulmonary vascular engorgement on radiographs. Ground-glass opacity and consolidation were more common in children who required intensive care admission or died.

Childhood liver tumors in Argentina: Incidence trend and survival by treatment center. A report from the national pediatric cancer registry, ROHA network 2000-2015.

BACKGROUND: Information on the epidemiology of pediatric liver tumors in Latin America is limited. PURPOSE: To describe the incidence of liver tumors in a pediatric registry in Argentina according to geographic region, national trends over 16 years, and survival related to stage, age, sex, and care center. METHODS: Newly diagnosed liver tumors cases are registered in the Argentine Pediatric Oncology Hospital Registry (ROHA) with an estimated coverage of 91% of national cases. Age-standardized incidence rate per millon (ASR) was calculated based on the National Vital Statistics Reports. Five-year overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The log-rank test was used to compare subgroup survival. RESULTS: Two hundred seven cases of hepatoblastoma (HB) and 73 of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were identified. ASR of liver tumors was 1.8/million (95% confidence Interval [CI], 1.6-2.0) per year. ASR was 1.4 (1.2-1.6) for HB and 0.4 (0.3-0.5) for HCC. For HB, the highest incidence was found in the northwest region including the Altiplano. OS was 60.4% (53.4-66.8) for HB and 36.1% (25.2-47.2) for HCC. Five-year survival rate of children with metastatic HB treated at liver transplant hospitals (LTH) was 54.2% (30.3-73.0) compared to 13.3% (2.2-34.6) for those seen at other hospitals (OH) (P = .02), while for HCC this rate was 46.3% (30.7-60.6) at LTH compared to 17.5% (3.1-41.9) at OH (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence rate of pediatric liver tumors was stable over the 16-year study period. Patients may benefit if at treatment initiation they are evaluated jointly with LTH specialists to define treatment strategies.

Pileflebitis en pediatria / Pylephlebitis in pediatric patients

La pileflebitis se define como la tromboflebitis de la vena porta y/o de sus ramas. En pediatría, se presenta con mayor frecuencia asociada a un cuadro de apendicitis aguda y tiene una alta morbimortalidad. La ecografía Doppler y la tomografía computada son los estudios de elección para la confirmación del diagnóstico. La complicación a largo plazo más frecuente que pueden presentar estos niños es el cavernoma de la porta con la consiguiente hipertensión portal. El diagnóstico temprano, el tratamiento antibiótico adecuado y la remoción del foco infeccioso son las medidas terapéuticas necesarias para disminuir la mortalidad. La terapia anticoagulante es controvertida. Comunicamos el caso de un niño con abdomen agudo y sepsis, en quien se diagnosticó pileflebitis secundaria a plastrón apendicular. El paciente fue tratado con antibioticoterapia parenteral prolongada y anticoagulación subcutánea. En forma diferida, se efectuó cirugía del plastrón apendicular con adecuada recuperación posterior.

Pylephlebitis is defined as thrombophlebitis of the portal vein or its tributaries. It is a rare disease commonly associated with acute appendicitis and it has a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Doppler ultrasound and computed tomography scan are the methods of choice to confirm diagnosis. The most frequent long-term complication in these patients is portal vein cavernoma, with subsequent portal hypertension. An early diagnosis, timely antibiotic therapy and removal of infection are essential therapeutic measures to diminish mortality. The need for anticoagulation therapy in children remains controversial. We report on a child with acute abdomen and sepsis with a diagnosis of pylephlebitis secondary to appendiceal inflammation. The patient received long-term antibiotic therapy and subcutaneous anticoagulation. Deferred appendectomy was performed with favorably outcome.

[Pylephlebitis in pediatric patients]. / Pileflebitis en pediatria.

Pylephlebitis is defined as thrombophlebitis of the portal vein or its tributaries. It is a rare disease commonly associated with acute appendicitis and it has a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Doppler ultrasound and computed tomography scan are the methods of choice to confirm diagnosis. The most frequent long-term complication in these patients is portal vein cavernoma, with subsequent portal hypertension. An early diagnosis, timely antibiotic therapy and removal of infection are essential therapeutic measures to diminish mortality. The need for anticoagulation therapy in children remains controversial. We report on a child with acute abdomen and sepsis with a diagnosis of pylephlebitis secondary to appendiceal inflammation. The patient received long-term antibiotic therapy and subcutaneous anticoagulation. Deferred appendectomy was performed with favorably outcome.

Pseudotumor inflamatorio esplénico en un paciente pediátrico / Inflammatory pseudotumor of the spleen: report of a case in a child

Se describe un caso de pseudotumor inflamatorio esplénico en un niño de 4 años. Los hallazgos clínicos fueron limitados a: dolor abdominal difuso y tumoración palpable en hipocondrio izquierdo. La ecografía y la TC mostraron una masa sólida homogénea en el polo inferior del bazo, con captación irregular del contraste endovenoso. Se realizó esplenectomía laparoscópica con diagnóstico histopatológico de pseudotumor inflamatorio. Esta localización es extremadamente rara, especialmente en niños, siendo este el cuarto caso reportado en pacientes pediátricos y el de menor edad

Tumores primitivos de pulmón en pediatría / Primary pulmonary neoplasms in children

Los tumores primitivos pulmonares, endobronquiales y parenquimatosos, son extremadamente raros en niños, por lo que la experiencia individual en el diagnóstico, tratamiento y pronóstico es limitada. Nuestro trabajo muestra las formas de presentación, métodos de diagnóstico empleados y resultados en 17 pacientes que se atendieron en nuestro hospital entre los años 1991 y 2000. De los métodos de imágenes, la radiología permitió evaluar la sospecha de masa pulmonar, el US demostró su naturaleza sólida, quística o mixta y la presencia o no de derrame pleural, mientras que la TC delimitó su localización, extensión y metástasis, datos imprescindibles para el tratamiento quirúrgico adecuado. En los pacientes pediátricos que tienen lesión pulmonar ocupante de espacio, así como en los que debutan con neumotórax o hemotórax espontáneos, debe tenerse en cuenta la posibilidad de tumor primitivo de pulmón, debiéndose profundizar los estudios mediante US, TC y endoscopía. Las lesiones congénitas quísticas tienen riesgo de malignización, por lo que su tratamiento debe ser quirúrgico