Clinical Characteristics of Pediatric Pyelonephritis Without Pyuria or Bacteriuria.

BACKGROUND: The gold standard for the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis (APN) in children is the finding of both pyuria (P) and bacteriuria (B); however, some APN patients have neither of these findings [APN(P(-);B(-))]. METHODS: In this study, we investigated APN patients who visited our hospital over 14 years to identify specific clinical characteristics of APN(P(-);B(-)). RESULTS: A total of 171 APN patients were included in the study, and of these 29 were APN(P(-);B(-)). Of the APN(P(-);B(-)) patients, 25.9% had vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), the same percentage as the APN(P(+);B(+)) patients, and 69.0% of APN(P(-);B(-)) patients had already taken antibiotics before diagnosis. APN(P(-);B(-)) patients were older and had a longer duration between onset of fever and diagnosis than the patients with pyuria and/or bacteriuria. In addition, they showed higher C-reactive protein levels. APN(P(-);B(-)) patients had high levels of urinary α-1 microglobulin and urinary ß-2 microglobulin. CONCLUSIONS: APN is difficult to diagnose in febrile patients who display neither pyuria nor bacteriuria, but as these patients have the same risk for VUR as APN patients with pyuria and bacteriuria, a detailed history establishing the clinical course as well as urinary chemistry investigations, may assist in diagnosis.

Overt diabetes mellitus caused by the topical administration of dexamethasone ointment on the oral mucosa.

We herein describe the case of a 68-year-old man who developed overt diabetes mellitus following the topical administration of dexamethasone 0.1%-containing ointment over a five-month period to treat oral lichen planus. The topical dexamethasone therapy was discontinued gradually, and the patient was subsequently treated with insulin for one month without clinical signs of overt adrenal insufficiency. An oral glucose tolerance test revealed impaired glucose tolerance after the treatment. The potential for the deterioration of glucose metabolism must be considered when patients with impaired glucose tolerance are treated with relatively low doses of topical corticosteroid ointment on the oral mucosa, even for short periods.