Assessment of tuberculosis infection during treatment with biologic agents in a BCG-vaccinated pediatric population.

Biologic therapies, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) blockers, are commonly used to treat rheumatological diseases in childhood. Screening patients for tuberculosis (TB) is highly recommended before starting therapy with TNF-α blockers. Despite appropriate screening, TB still remains a problem in patients receiving anti-TNF therapy in countries where TB is not endemic. TB in anti-TNF-treated patients is often diagnosed late due to altered presentation, and this delay results in high morbidity and mortality with a high proportion of extrapulmonary and disseminated disease. The aim of this study is to show the course of TB disease in children who are on biologic therapy, in an era where many of the children are BCG-vaccinated and TB is intermediately endemic. We recruited 71 patients with several types of inflammatory diseases. Six of them had a positive test result during TB screening and began taking isoniazid (INH) prophylactically. During the 3 years of follow-up, none of these patients developed TB disease. Biologic agents can be safely used in a BCG-vaccinated pediatric population, as long as patients are closely monitored to ensure that any cases of TB will be detected early.

Perforated appendicitis after intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in a term neonate with haemolytic jaundice.

Neonatal appendicitis is a rare clinical condition that may cause high morbidity and mortality if diagnosis is delayed. There is usually an underlying disease; it can also be a localized form of necrotizing enterocolitis. Here, we present a term neonate who was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin because of severe isoimmune hemolytic jaundice. The patient developed abdominal symptoms within 10 hours of therapy, was diagnosed with acute perforated appendicitis and completely recovered after surgery.