Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in children in Iran: Atypical CT manifestations and mortality risk of severe COVID-19 infection.

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Iran reported its first confirmed cases of syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections on 19 February 2020 in Qom. Although the numbers of cases are increasing, no report about clinical manifestations, laboratory results, and imaging findings of the children infected with COVID-19 in Iran has been published. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiological, clinical, and radiological and laboratory findings of 24 children who had proven SARS-CoV-2 infection and performed chest computed tomographic (CT) in Qom, Iran. METHODS: Demographic information and clinical characteristics of the patients including signs and symptoms, chest CT scan manifestation, laboratory findings and clinical outcomes were collected. Diagnosing of the confirmed case was based on positive real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction test for SARS-CoV-2. FINDINGS: During the first 3 months of the epidemic in Qom, Iran, 24 children with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 were included. The median age of the cases was 6 years [inter-quartile range 3.5-9.5 years]. The most common presenting symptoms were fever (100%), dry cough (62.5%), tachypnea (29%), abdominal pain (21%), and vomiting (21%). Three cases (12.5%) presented with a history of diarrhea in addition to fever and cough. According to the chest CT findings, 2 cases (8%) showed no abnormality. Typical CT findings were found in 6 patients (25%), 2 patients showed indeterminate appearance, and 14 patients (58%) showed atypical findings. Two children with SARS-CoV-2 infection manifested as a hyperinflammatory syndrome with multi-organ involvement similar to Kawasaki disease shock syndrome. Seventy-one percent of the patients showed severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and the mortality of 12.5% (3 cases) were reported. INTERPRETATION: High frequency of atypical chest CT finding in children should raise concern for pediatricians. Early recognition of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection is of crucial importance in controlling of the outbreak and atypical imaging features should be interpreted with caution.

Searching the Staphylococcal Superantigens: Enterotoxins A, B, C, and TSST1 in Synovial Fluid of Cases With Negative Culture Inflammatory Arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Accurate and rapid diagnosis of bacterial arthritis is not always possible in unvaccinated (Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type B) children in Iran. OBJECTIVES: Searching the staphylococcal superantigen (entrotoxin A, B, C and TSST1) in synovial fluid of cases with inflammatory arthritis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cross sectional study was implemented in the pediatric and orthopedic wards, Rasoul Akram Hospital, Tehran, Iran (2008-2010) upon synovial fluid (SF) aspirated from 66 children (five months to 16 years; mean age 11 ± 3.8 years) with monoarthritis. Staphylococcal supperantigens (enterotoxins A, B, C, TSST1) were assessed by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in synovial fluid of cases with inflammatory arthitis. Staphylococcal superantigens compared between cases with positive and negative Staphylococcus aureus culture (P < 0.05 was significant). RESULTS: S. aureus was the most common cause of septic arthritis. Positive S. aureus culture in SF was reported in 10.6% (7/66) of the cases. Enterotoxin A was the least common type of superantigens found even in SF negative culture; 47% of the cases had one or more staphylococcal superantigens. Enterotoxin A was the least common type in SF; there was poor agreement between positive culture for S. aureus and presence of enterotoxins B, C, and TSST1 in SF, and intermediate agreement (KAPPA Index = 0.67) for enterotoxin A. CONCLUSIONS: A possible role (%47) for staphylococcal toxins was defined even in SF negative cultures obtained from monoarthritis cases. Failure in isolation of organisms might be due to natural un-growth of microorganism in synovial fluid, and previous antibiotic usage or low technical methods. It could not be determined from the data obtained in the current investigation whether or not staphylococcal toxins (superantigens) play a pathogenic role without direct invasion of the organism. It is recommend to use complementary methods for searching the S. aureus superantigens in future studies.

Acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis in hospitalized children: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Viral acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a major cause of morbidity in childhood and leads to hospitalization in developed countries, such as Iran. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and viral types (rotavirus, adenovirus, human parechoviruses-1, and human bocavirus) of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis in hospitalized children. PATIENTS AND MATERIALS: This was a across-sectional prospective study performed at the Pediatric Department of Rasoul Hospital, Tehran, Iran (2009-2011) on 80 hospitalized children with viral AGE. All Stool samples were collected on viral transport media. Human bocavirus (HBoV) was detected using the Real-time PCR TaqMan method. Molecular detection of human parechovirus type 1 (HPeV-1) RNA in stool samples was done using a specific nested reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). Rota and adeno virus antigens were sought by rapid chromatographic tests. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Fever was determined in 47.5% of cases (38), nausea and vomiting in 42.5% (34), respiratory symptoms in 16.3% (13), abdominal pain in 76%. Duration of diarrhea was 1-30 days (mean = 6.3 + 4.3 days). No dehydration was observed in 43.5% of subjects, mild dehydration in 33.8%, moderate dehydration in 17.5% and severe dehydration in 5% of cases. Positive rotavirus was found in 48.8% of cases (39), adenovirus in 20% (16), HBoV in 8% (6) and HPeV-1 in 23.2% (19), and adeno and rotaviruses co-infection in 6% (4). The frequency of positive HBoV was significantly lower than adeno and rotaviruses infection (P value = 0.0001). Rotavirus was more frequent in males (P value = 0.003) and in young children (17.49 months vs. 21.44 months) [P value = 0.03, CI = -13.4, 5.5]. Rotavirus infection was related to the degree of dehydration (P value = 0.001) but was not related to the presence of vomiting or fever (P value > 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that viral agents, especially rotavirus (48.8%), HPeV-1 (23.2%) and adenovirus (20%) are the most important causes for viral AGE in children while HBoV (8%) is infrequent during childhood. Determination of various viral pathogens of AGE is very important in planning diarrhea disease control strategies in our country where rotavirus vaccination in not routinely used.

Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in an Iranian infant.

Introduction. Naegleria fowleri, a free living amoeba, can cause devastating and deadly diseases in humans. This is the first report of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis from Iran. Case report. A five-month-old male infant presented with the history of fever and eye gaze for three days, after beginning of bacterial meningitis, a plain and contrast CT revealed communicated hydrocephalus. In the repeat of CSF analysis on microscopic examination of wet preparation of CSF, Naegleria Fowleri was seen. Then, Amphotericin B and Rifampin were started. On followup, two months later, the patient was totally asymptomatic. Conclusion. Though occurrence of PAM is rare, this unusual disease has grave prognosis, so infection with free living amoebas must be considered in differential diagnosis of pediatric patients of purulent meningitis without evidence of bacteria on Gram's stain and imaging findings, nonspecific brain edema on CT or hydrocephalus even without history of contact.