[Neonatal osteomyelitis of the proximal femur: a case with ten-year follow-up and review of the literature]. / Ostéomyélite néonatale du col du fémur avec contamination articulaire.

Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis most frequently occurs in children, generally around 6 to 9 years of age. If it occurs in early infancy, the infection usually involves both the bone and the joint, nearly simultaneously. Neonatal osteomyelitis is another presentation, with an osteomyelitic focus in the metaphysis. We report a case of septic arthritis following osteomyelitis of the hip joint in a neonate caused by a virulent pathogenic organism. Despite late diagnosis and treatment, outcome was very satisfactory with few sequelae for the joint and epiphysis. It should be emphasized that early diagnosis, with prompt and adequate treatment is essential to achieve good outcome. We discuss this case and present a review of the literature.

Serum antibodies before and after immunisation in haemodialysed children.

Serum antibodies (AB) have been measured before and after vaccination in haemodialysed children. The main finding was a normal increase in AB titres following adsorbed vaccines (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and poliomyelitis) demonstrating a normal humoral immune ability. By contrast, a poor response to live attenuated viruses (poliomyelitis and measles) was observed. Two additional findings were an inhibitor effect of tetanus toxoid in mice by uraemic serum, and a constant negative Schick test indicative of suppressed non-specific skin reactivity.