[Erythema nodosum: etiological changes in the last two decades]. / Eritema nudoso: modificación etiológica en las dos últimas décadas.

OBJECTIVE: To study the etiological factors associated with erythema nodosum in children hospitalized between January 1985 and December 2003. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective, descriptive study through review of the medical records of children with a diagnosis of erythema nodosum (MBDS-ICD 9-CM, code 6952). Forty-five patients (27 boys and 18 girls) aged between 10 months and 14 years were studied. The following variables were analyzed: age, sex, associated symptoms, complementary investigations (blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, throat swab, chest x-ray, Mantoux test, ASLO titer, stool culture, serology) and final diagnosis. RESULTS: The most frequent etiology was tuberculosis (10 patients), followed by Salmonella enteritidis (7 patients), group A beta -hemolytic Streptococcus (3 patients), Salmonella typhimurium (2 patients), Campylobacter jejuni (2 patients), Yersinia enterocolitica (1 patient), infectious mononucleosis caused by Epstein Barr virus (1 patient), cat scratch disease (1 patient), BCG vaccination (1 patient), associated chronic hepatitis B infection (1 patient), and associated amoxicillin treatment (1 patient). Etiology was unknown in 15 patients. The last case of erythema nodosum associated with tuberculous infection dated back to 1991, after which the most frequent etiologic factors associated with erythema nodosum were gastrointestinal pathogens. CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, the main etiological factor currently associated with erythema nodosum is gastrointestinal infection. Consequently, stool cultures, especially when there are associated gastrointestinal symptoms, are essential.

[Prospective study of newborn infants born to mothers infected with human immunodeficiency virus]. / Estudio prospectivo en recién nacidos, hijos de madres infectadas por el virus de la immunodeficiencia humana.

Perinatal transmission of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from mother to child is at the present time the most important cause of AIDS in children. Since August 1985 we have observed 24 babies with anti-HIV antibodies born to HIV-infected mothers. Their present status is: 6 have symptomatic infection, 6 undetermined infection, 10 had became seronegative and 2 were lost for follow-up. Our results suggest that the risk of infection for the baby is high and the onset of symptoms relatively early. Follow-up studies in babies born to HIV-infected mothers are needed in order to classify the true risk of infection in them and the natural history of the disease.

[Erythema nodosum in pediatric patients. A study of 22 cases]. / Eritema nodoso en pacientes pediátricos. Un estudio de 22 casos.

In this study we report the cases of 22 pediatric patients with nodal erythema. The predominance of this condition in male patients was clear. Etiological factors were determined in 77% of the patients. In our series, the principal cause was tuberculosis (36%). We would like to point out the etiological diversity in this small series of children: streptococcal infection, gastrointestinal infection with Salmonella enteritidis or Campylobacter jejuni, cat scratch disease, infectious mononucleosis, chronic hepatitis B, Crohn's disease and pharmacological (amoxycillin). In 22% of the cases no cause was found.

[Idiopathic purpura fulminans with transient protein S deficiency]. / Púrpura fulminante idiopática con déficit transitorio de proteína S.

Idiopathic purpura fulminans produces rapidly progressive hemorrhagic necrosis of the skin with disseminated intravascular coagulation in individuals without known abnormalities of the protein C pathway or acute infections. The disease mainly affects children and in 90 % of cases is preceded by a benign infection. Its pathogenesis involves a temporary autoimmune protein S deficiency that provokes a state of hypercoagulability. We present the case of a previously healthy 2-year-old boy with hemorrhagic skin lesions characteristic of purpura fulminans and disseminated intravascular coagulation without sepsis. Severe, temporary protein S deficiency was confirmed. The patient received daily replacement therapy with fresh frozen plasma for 12 days and anticoagulation with heparin for 3 months. Evolution was favorable. Although the other parameters returned to normal, protein S remained low for 50 days despite treatment. The patient has made a complete recovery.

Absceso hepático. Una rara complicación de la apendicitis aguda / Liver abscess. An uncommon complication of acute appendicitis

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Eritema nudoso: modificación etiológica en las dos últimas décadas / Erythema nodosum: etiological changes in the last two decades

Objetivo: Estudiar los factores etiológicos asociados a eritema nudoso, en niños hospitalizados entre enero de 1985 y diciembre de 2003. Material y métodos: Diseño retrospectivo, descriptivo, por revisión de historias clínicas con el diagnóstico de eritema nudoso (CMBD-ICD 9-MC, código 6952). Se ha estudiado (n=45) a 27 varones y 18 mujeres con edades comprendidas entre 10 meses y 14 años. Se han analizado las siguientes variables: edad, sexo, síntomas acompañantes, exámenes complementarios (hemograma, velocidad de sedimentación globular, frotis faríngeo, radiología de tórax, prueba de Mantoux, antiestreptolisina O, coprocultivo, serología) y diagnóstico final. Resultados: La infección tuberculosa fue la etiología asociada más frecuente (10 casos), seguida de Salmonella enteritidis (7 casos), estreptococo Beta-hemolítico del grupo A (3 casos), Salmonella typhimurium (2 casos), Campylobacter jejuni (2 casos), Yersinia enterocolitica (1 caso), mononucleosis infecciosa por virus de Epstein-Barr (1 caso), enfermedad por arañazo de gato (1 caso), vacunación por BCG (un caso), asociado a hepatitis B crónica (1 caso) y asociado a tratamiento con amoxicilina (1 caso). La etiología fue desconocida en 15 de los casos. El último caso de eritema nudoso asociado a infección tuberculosa data de 1991, fecha a partir de la cual los patógenos digestivos pasan a ser la causa etiológica asociada más frecuente de eritema nudoso. Conclusiones: Según nuestros resultados, la infección gastrointestinal es en la actualidad el factor etiológico predominante, lo que hace imprescindible la realización de coprocultivos, sobre todo si existe clínica digestiva asociada (AU)

Hepatitis y anemia aplásica / Hepatitis and aplastic anemia

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Púrpura fulminante idiopática con déficit transitorio de proteína S / Idiopathic purpura fulminans with severe protein S deficiency

La púrpura fulminante idiopática cursa con lesiones cutáneas purpuroequimóticas, planas, rápidamente progresivas y coagulopatía intravascular diseminada (CID), en ausencia de infección activa o alteraciones previas de la coagulación. Afecta fundamentalmente a niños y en el 90 por ciento de los casos está precedida por una infección banal. La base patogénica es un déficit transitorio de proteína S, mediado por autoanticuerpos, que propicia un estado de hipercoagulabilidad. Se presenta un caso en un varón de 2 años previamente sano, con lesiones purpúricas cutáneas características de púrpura fulminante y CID en ausencia de sepsis. Se constató un déficit grave pero transitorio de proteínas S. Precisó tratamiento sustitutivo con plasma fresco congelado durante 12 días y anticoagulación durante 3 meses, siendo la evolución favorable. La actividad de proteína S permaneció disminuida durante 50 días a pesar de la normalización precoz del resto de los parámetros (AU)