Bilateral chylothorax after blunt thoracic trauma: a case report.

Traumatic chylothorax other than iatrogenic thoracic duct injury is extremely rare in children. Chylothorax can cause cardiopulmonary abnormalities and significant nutritional, metabolic and immunologic consequences. The management of chylothorax ranges from conservative treatment to surgical intervention. We present a four-year-old boy who presented with respiratory difficulty due to multiple rib fractures and bilateral chylothorax, which developed after a blunt chest trauma. The patient was successfully treated through a conservative approach with total parenteral nutrition, nothing by mouth, and bilateral chest tube drainage. The nature of pleural effusion developed following a blunt thoracic trauma is important in the management of trauma patients.

Actinomycosis: a differential diagnosis for appendicitis. A case report and review of the literature.

Actinomyces is a genus of gram-positive anaerobic or microaerophilic bacteria that colonize the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts and the female genital tract. These organisms cause disseminated disease in the mouth, the respiratory system, and rarely in the gastrointestinal tract. The diseases produced by Actinomyces species result from the disruption of the barriers that allow the dissemination of the bacteria through the surrounding tissues. The appendix is often a nidus of Actinomyces infection, but a prompt diagnosis cannot be made without the results of histologic examination of the appendix. The treatment of choice for actinomycosis of the appendix is the high-dose parenteral administration of penicillin G for 2 weeks immediately after the diagnosis has been made and continued oral treatment with that agent for at least the next 6 months. We present the case of a 13-year-old adolescent boy with actinomycosis of the appendix that was identified by histologic examination after appendectomy.

Congenital teratoma of the tongue: a case report and review of the literature.

Teratomas of the head and neck are rare. They develop in neonates and are associated with feeding difficulty, airway obstruction, and difficulty in swallowing (which may cause polyhydramnios). Although some tumors consist of immature elements, teratomas of the head and neck are mature in nature, and excision is the most effective treatment. We present a case report of a neonate with a polypoid mass protruding from his mouth. He exhibited respiratory arrest immediately after birth and underwent intubation. The mass, which was completely excised, was histologically identified as a mature teratoma.