A pilot program evaluating WhatsApp as an interactive educational tool for pediatric radiology in Eastern Africa.

The widespread use of WhatsApp as a communication tool makes it a candidate platform to facilitate the delivery of educational materials to radiology trainees in Eastern Africa. The aim of this pilot program is to assess the novel approach of using WhatsApp as a learning tool in pediatric radiology for residents in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. We recruited radiology residents to participate in a 3-month case-based pediatric radiology learning module that was delivered through WhatsApp to personal cell phones. Residents were presented with a multiple choice question once a week. Once they submitted their answer, the correct answer and explanations for each choice were provided. Questionnaires investigated comfort with reading pediatric radiology imaging, perception of the module content and convenience of the approach. Of the 72  participants, 40 (56%) responded to all 12 questions and both questionnaires, of whom 22 (55%) reported little to no comfort before the module and feeling very comfortable after. Confidence decreased with the number of incorrect answers. There was no correlation between the number of correct answers and the year level of the resident. Participants reported that the module was useful for learning pediatric radiology, found the material moderately difficult and found the application convenient for learning. Pediatric radiology educational content delivered over WhatsApp to residents in Eastern Africa is perceived as beneficial and convenient. This interactive learning platform provides opportunities for mentorship and enhanced learning of pediatric radiology.

Novel peptide nanoparticle-biased antagonist of CCR3 blocks eosinophil recruitment and airway hyperresponsiveness.

BACKGROUND: Chemokine signaling through CCR3 is a key regulatory pathway for eosinophil recruitment into tissues associated with allergic inflammation and asthma. To date, none of the CCR3 antagonists have shown efficacy in clinical trials. One reason might be their unbiased mode of inhibition that prevents receptor internalization, leading to drug tolerance. OBJECTIVE: We sought to develop a novel peptide nanoparticle CCR3 inhibitor (R321) with a biased mode of inhibition that would block G protein signaling but enable or promote receptor internalization. METHODS: Self-assembly of R321 peptide into nanoparticles and peptide binding to CCR3 were analyzed by means of dynamic light scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance. Inhibitory activity on CCR3 signaling was assessed in vitro by using flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and Western blot analysis in a CCR3+ eosinophil cell line and blood eosinophils. In vivo effects of R321 were assessed by using a triple-allergen mouse asthma model. RESULTS: R321 self-assembles into nanoparticles and binds directly to CCR3, altering receptor function. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration values for eotaxin-induced chemotaxis of blood eosinophils are in the low nanomolar range. R321 inhibits only the early phase of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 activation and not the late phase generally associated with ß-arrestin recruitment and receptor endocytosis, promoting CCR3 internalization and degradation. In vivo R321 effectively blocks eosinophil recruitment into the blood, lungs, and airways and prevents airway hyperresponsiveness in a mouse eosinophilic asthma model. CONCLUSIONS: R321 is a potent and selective antagonist of the CCR3 signaling cascade. Inhibition through a biased mode of antagonism might hold significant therapeutic promise by eluding the formation of drug tolerance.

Persistent falcine sinus in the newborn: 3 case reports of associated anomalies.

The falcine sinus is a normal embryonic structure that is situated between the 2 layers of the falx cerebri and drains the deep cerebral venous system into the superior sagittal sinus. It normally involutes after birth and is uncommon in adults. Although it is often an isolated and incidental finding, it can also be associated with a number of other conditions including but not limited to vein of Galen arterial malformations (VGAM), atretic parietal cephaloceles, acrocephalosyndactyly (Apert syndrome), absence of the corpus callosum, absence of the tentorium, osteogenesis imperfecta, or Chiari II malformations. We present a case series of 3 pediatric patients born with a persistent falcine sinus and an associated condition, including a VGAM, an APC, and a sinus thrombosis. The purpose of this article is to highlight the importance of understanding anatomic variations in the cerebral venous system to help aid in the proper diagnosis and treatment of associated pathologies.

Scrotal Lipoblastoma with Radiological and Histological Correlation.

Lipoblastomas are rare benign mesenchymal tumors comprised primarily mature adipocytes, which are most commonly found in infants and children younger than 3 years. They are usually found in the extremities, trunk, head, neck, and retroperitoneum, although cases occurring in the scrotum have been reported. Due to its rarity, there is a relative paucity of literature describing its imaging and management. We present a rare case of a scrotal lipoblastoma, and discuss the current imaging strategies to differentiate this adipocytic tumor from other more common paratesticular masses, including aggressive neoplasms such as rhabdomyosarcomas. Knowledge of the radiological appearance of lipoblastoma can provide the correct diagnosis and prevent unnecessary orchiectomy.

Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangioscopy and Stone Extraction in a Patient with Recurrent Cholangitis Following Liver Trauma.

Percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy (PTCS) is a safe and effective treatment for obstructive biliary stones, when endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is unsuccessful or unavailable. Once percutaneous access is gained into the biliary tree by an interventional radiologist, the biliary ducts can be directly visualized and any biliary stones can be managed with lithotripsy, mechanical fragmentation, and/or percutaneous extraction. We report a case of a 45-year-old man who sustained a traumatic liver laceration and associated bile duct injury, complicated by bile duct ectasia and intrahepatic biliary stone formation. Despite undergoing a cholecystectomy, multiple ERCPs, and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram with drain placement, the underlying problem was not corrected leading to recurrent bouts of gallstone pancreatitis and cholangitis. He was ultimately referred to an interventional radiologist who extracted the impacted intrahepatic biliary stones that were thought to be causing his recurrent infections through cholangioscopy. This is the first case of PTCS with biliary stone extraction in the setting of recurrent biliary obstruction and cholangitis due to traumatic bile duct injury.

Fibromatosis colli leading to positional plagiocephaly with gross anatomical and sonographic correlation.

Fibromatosis colli, also known as 'sternocleidomastoid tumour of infancy' or 'pseudotumour of infancy', is a rare condition involving fibrosis and swelling, or 'tumour' of the sternocleidomastoid muscle in newborns that typically occurs after a traumatic delivery. Although usually self-limited, fibromatosis colli can lead to congenital muscular torticollis and positional plagiocephaly due to uneven forces on the neonatal skull. Ultrasound is the diagnostic imaging modality of choice and can prevent additional imaging and unnecessary intervention.

Neonatal infratentorial subdural hematoma contributing to obstructive hydrocephalus in the setting of therapeutic cooling: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic neonatal subdural hematomas usually result from head trauma incurred during vaginal delivery, most commonly during instrument assistance. Symptomatic subdural hematomas are rare in C-section deliveries that were not preceded by assisted delivery techniques. Although the literature is inconclusive, another possible cause of subdural hematomas is therapeutic hypothermia. CASE SUMMARY: We present a case of a term neonate who underwent therapeutic whole-body cooling for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy following an emergent C-section delivery for prolonged decelerations. Head ultrasound on day of life 3 demonstrated a rounded mass in the posterior fossa. A follow-up brain magnetic resonance imaging confirmed hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and clarified the subdural hematomas in the posterior fossa causing mass effect and obstructive hydrocephalus. CONCLUSION: The aim of this report is to highlight the rarity and importance of mass-like subdural hematomas causing obstructive hydrocephalus, particularly in the setting of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and therapeutic whole-body cooling.

Rare Case of a Calcified Catheter-Related Sheath Embolizing to the Right Pulmonary Artery.

Catheter-related sheaths, formerly known as "fibrin sheaths," are the most common complications of central venous catheters. Although usually harmless, they can very rarely detach from the venous wall against which they were formed and embolize with effects ranging from subclinical embolisms to death. This rare occurrence has only been described a few times in the literature to date, and to our knowledge, the embolized sheath has never been directly visualized with CT. We report the case of catheter-related sheath embolization to the right pulmonary artery in a child, as confirmed on CT.

Falciform ligament appendagitis after Roux-en-Y bypass surgery mimicking acute cholecystitis.

Fatty falciform ligament appendage torsion (F-FLAT) is a rare type of intraperitoneal focal fat infarction that involves torsion of a fatty appendage of the falciform ligament. It may cause severe pain, mimicking an acute abdomen, but is typically self-limited and does not require hospitalisation or surgery. As a type of intraperitoneal focal fat infarction, it shares many of the same physiological, clinical and radiological features of epiploic appendagitis. To our knowledge, F-FLAT has not previously been reported in a patient following a laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. Identifying falciform ligament appendagitis is critical because it can prevent unnecessary hospitalisation, follow-up studies and surgery.

Tumefactive synovial thickening mimicking synovial chondromatosis in the setting of oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis in a toddler.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common cause of arthritis in children. It is characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration of synovial membranes leading to synovitis and synovial membrane thickening. Synovial chondromatosis is rare sequela of synovitis in which foci of cartilage develop within the synovial membrane of a joint capsule. We report a case of a 35-month old boy who developed tumefactive synovial hypertrophy and hyperplasia that mimicked synovial chondromatosis on MRI. The reactive synovium was arthroscopically excised and the patient's arthritis improved. Tumefactive synovial hypertrophy and hyperplasia mimicking synovial chondromatosis on MRI in the setting of JIA, has not been reported in this young of a patient in the literature to date. A discussion on imaging in oligoarticular JIA and synovial chondromatosis is presented herein.

Rare case of atypical Dejerine syndrome in a child.

Medial medullary syndrome (aka Dejerine syndrome) is a rare condition that develops following infarction of the medial medulla and is classically defined by the presence of Dejerine's triad of contralateral weakness in upper and lower extremities, contralateral hemisensory loss of vibration and proprioception, and ipsilateral tongue weakness. It is typically caused by occlusion of the vertebral artery or one of its branches. We report the case of a 6-year-old girl who suffered a medial medullary infarction, and she was diagnosed with atypical Dejerine syndrome. Medial medullary infarct leading to atypical Dejerine syndrome has not been reported in this young of a patient in the literature to date.