Necrotising pneumonia caused by Curvularia hawaiiensis (syn. Bipolaris hawaiiensis) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis coinfection in a patient with ascariasis: a case report and review.

INTRODUCTION: Curvularia hawaiiensis (formerly Bipolaris hawaiiensis) is a plant pathogen often isolated from soil and vegetative material. However, only a few cases of opportunistic invasive infections in humans have been described. CASE: A 16-year-old female patient without comorbidities was admitted to the emergency department because of fever and chest pain. We described the first coinfection of Curvularia hawaiiensis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis necrotising pneumonia. DISCUSSION: Multiple infections can alter immune responses. However, immunosuppression is the most critical risk factor for infection with species of the genus Curvularia. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully examine patients with tuberculosis, as they may rarely be coinfected with unusual fungi.

LioNeo project: a randomised double-blind clinical trial for nutrition of very-low-birth-weight infants.

We assessed the effectiveness of lyophilised banked human milk (HM) as a fortifier to feed very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWI). This study aimed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of HM with HM lyophilisate as an additive compared with the standard additive (cows' milk protein). In this phase I double-blind randomised controlled clinical trial, set in the intensive and intermediate care units of a tertiary hospital, forty VLBWI were enrolled and allocated into two groups: HM plus HM lyophilisate (LioNeo) or HM plus commercial additive (HMCA). The inclusion criteria were preterm infants, birth weight 750-1500 g, small or adequate for gestational age, exclusively receiving donor HM, volume ≥ 100 ml/kg per d and haemodynamically stable. Participants were followed up for 21 consecutive days. The primary outcome measures were necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), late-onset sepsis (LOS), death, gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding or perforation, diarrhoea, regurgitation, vomiting and abdominal distension. The LioNeo and HMCA groups had similar weights at baseline. The regression models showed no differences between the groups in terms of the primary outcomes. Diarrhoea, GI perforation, NEC and LOS were absent in the LioNeo group (one LOS and one NEC in the HMCA group). Multiple regression analysis with the total volume of milk as a covariate did not show significant differences. The lyophilisation of donor HM was considered safe and tolerable for use in stable haemodynamically VLBWI.

Experiencia y manejo de dos casos de gangrena de Fournier en pacientes pediátricos en el Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño - San Borja / Experience and management of two cases of fournier's gangrene in pediatric patients at the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño - San Borja, Lima, Peru

RESUMEN La gangrena de Fournier es una patología que se encuentra predominantemente en varones adultos y extremadamente rara en niños. Se han descrito múltiples factores predisponentes en los niños, incluyendo la circuncisión, la dermatitis del pañal, la presencia de abscesos, traumatismos anorrectales y deficiencias inmunológicas. Los signos y síntomas característicos incluyen edema e hiperemia de rápida evolución en la región perineal acompañados de dolor intenso y fiebre. Una vez que se diagnostica la gangrena de Fournier, se debe instaurar tratamiento de forma inmediata, antibióticos endovenosos de amplio espectro y debridamiento quirúrgico temprano del tejido desvitalizado. A continuación presentamos un reporte de casos que incluye las características clínicas y epidemiológicas de dos pacientes pediátricos con gangrena de Fournier que recibieron tratamiento médico y quirúrgico en el Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño de San Borja.

ABSTRACT Fournier's gangrene is a condition mainly found in adults and it very rarely occurs in children. Multiple predisposing factors have been identified for children, including circumcision, diaper dermatitis, the occurrence of abscesses, anorectal trauma, and immune deficiency. Characteristic signs and symptoms include rapidly progressing edema and hyperemia in the perineal region, accompanied by intense pain and fever. Once Fournier's gangrene is diagnosed, therapy must be immediately instituted, using wide spectrum intravenous antibiotics and early surgical debridement of devitalized tissues. We present a case report including clinical and epidemiological characteristics of two pediatric patients with Fournier's gangrene who received medical and surgical therapy at the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño in San Borja, Lima, Peru.

Compromiso vesical en paciente pediátrico con poliarteritis nodosa: primera descripción / Bladder involvement in a paediatric patient with polyarteritis nodosa: First description

RESUMEN La poliarteritis nudosa (PAN) es una vasculitis necrosante, rara en la infancia, caracterizada por el compromiso de vasos pequeños/medianos y de múltiples órganos. Presentamos a una paciente que inició a los 4 arios con síndrome febril prolongado, dolor abdominal crónico, mialgias incapacitantes y compromiso en la piel, quien luego de 2 años de cuadro clínico completa criterios clínicos para PAN. Recibió tratamiento con corticoide sistêmico por vía oral e intravenosa, 6 meses de ciclofosfamida por vía intravenosa y manejo de mantenimiento con inmunosupresores convencionales sin respuesta adecuada, logrando control de la enfermedad únicamente con ciclofosfamida por vía oral y corticoide a largo plazo. Luego de 5 años y de recibir una dosis alta acumulada de ciclofosfamida, inicia con cuadros de hematuria macroscópica. Se evaluaron, entre otras causas, la toxicidad por ciclofosfamida y la actividad de la enfermedad. El estudio incluyó biopsia vesical, con hallazgo de vas-culitis necrosante de paredes vesicales. La vasculitis vesical es raramente reportada en la literatura (3-5 casos en adultos) y en lo consultado no hay reportes en niños. Se describe, en nuestro conocimiento, el primer caso de compromiso vesical asociado a vasculitis sistêmica reportado en la edad pediátrica.

A B S T R A C T Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a necrotising vasculitis, rare in childhood, and characterized by the inflammation of small and medium vessels and multiple organ involvement. The case is presented of a 4 year old girl with prolonged febrile syndrome, chronic abdominal pain, disabling myalgia, and skin involvement. After 2years of symptoms, she met clinical criteria for PAN. She received treatment with oral and intravenous systemic corticosteroids, 6 months of intravenous cyclophosphamide and maintenance with conventional immuno-suppressants without an adequate response. However, she showed clinical improvement with oral cyclophosphamide and long-term corticosteroids. She had several relapses during follow-up visits due to irregular treatment requiring a high cumulative dose of cyclophosphamide. Five years later she presented with macroscopic haematuria, and was assessed for, among other causes, cyclophosphamide toxicity and disease activity. The workup included cystoscopy and bladder biopsy with findingof necrotising vasculitis of bladder wall. Bladder vasculitis is rarely reported in the literature (3-5 cases in adults) and in that consulted there are no reports in children. To our knowledge, this is the first case of bladder involvement associated with systemic vasculitis reported in the paediatric age.

Severe acute pancreatitis: eight fundamental steps revised according to the 'PANCREAS' acronym.

Severe acute pancreatitis remains a life-threatening condition, responsible for many disorders of homeostasis and organ dysfunction. By means of a mnemonic 'PANCREAS', eight important steps in the management of severe acute pancreatitis are highlighted. These steps follow the principle of goal-directed therapy and should be borne in mind after diagnosis and during clinical treatment. The first step is perfusion: the goal is to reach a central venous pressure of 12-15mmHg, urinary output 0.5-1ml/kg/hour and inferior vena cava collapse index greater than 48%. Next is analgesia: multimodal, systemic and combined pharmacological agent and epidural block are possibilities. Third is nutrition: precocity, enteral feeding in gastric or post-pyloric position. Parenteral nutrition works best in difficult cases to achieve the individual total caloric value. Fourth is clinical: mild, moderate or severe pancreatitis according to the Atlanta criteria. Radiology is fifth: abdominal computed tomography on the fourth day for prognosis or to modify management. Endoscopy is sixth: endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (cholangitis, unpredicted clinical course and ascending jaundice); management of pancreatic fluid collection and 'walled-off necrosis'. Antibiotics come next: infectious complications are common causes of morbidity. The only rational indication for antibiotics is documented pancreatic infection. The last step is surgery: the dogma is represented by the 'three Ds' (delay, drain, debride). The preferred method is a minimally invasive step-up approach, which allows for gradually more invasive procedures when the previous treatment fails.

Use of ranitidine is associated with infections in newborns hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The inhibition of gastric acid secretion with ranitidine is frequently prescribed off-label to newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Some studies show that the use of inhibitors of gastric acid secretion (IGAS) may predispose to infections and necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), but there are few data to confirm this association. This study aimed to compare the rates of neonatal infections and NEC among preterm infants (<37 weeks gestation) hospitalised in a NICU exposed or not to treatment with ranitidine. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted with all consecutive preterm newborns admitted to a NICU between August-2014 and October-2015. The rates of infection, NEC, and death of newborns exposed or not to ranitidine were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 300 newborns were enrolled, of which 115 had received ranitidine and 185 had not. The two groups were similar with regard to the main demographic and clinical characteristics. Forty-eight (41.7%) of the 115 infants exposed to ranitidine and 49 (26.5%) of the 185 infants not exposed were infected (RR = 1.6, 95%CI 1.1-2.2, p = 0.006). The late onset (>48 h) blood culture positive infection rate was higher in the group exposed to ranitidine than in the untreated group (13.0% vs. 3.8%, p = 0.001). There was no significant association between the use of ranitidine and NEC (Bell stage >II) (p = 0.36). The mortality rate risk was 4-fold higher in infants receiving ranitidine (16.5% vs. 8.6%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Ranitidine use in neonates was associated with an increased risk of infections and mortality, but not with NEC.

[Complicated diverticular disease debuting as necrotising fasciitis of pelvic limb. A case report]. / Enfermedad diverticular complicada iniciada como fascitis necrosante de miembro pélvico. Reporte de caso.

BACKGROUND: Diverticular disease, and the diverticulitis, the main complication of it, are widely studied diseases with multiple chronic cases reported in the literature, but there are no atypical presentations with extra-abdominal symptoms coupled with seemingly unrelated entities, such as necrotising fasciitis. CLINICAL CASE: Female 52 years old, was admitted to the emergency department with back pain of 22 days duration. History of importance: Chronic use of benzodiazepines intramuscularly. Physical examination revealed the presence of a gluteal abscess in right pelvic limb with discoloration, as well as peri-lesional cellulitis and crepitus that stretches across the back of the limb. Fasciotomy was performed with debridement of necrotic tissue. Progression was torpid with crackling in abdomen. Computed tomography showed free air in the cavity, and on being surgically explored was found to be complicated diverticular disease. DISCUSSION: It is unusual for complicated diverticular disease to present with symptoms extra-peritoneal (< 2%) and even more so that a diverticulitis is due to necrotising fasciitis (< 1%). The absence of peritoneal manifestations delayed the timely diagnosis, which was evident with the crackling of the abdomen and abdominal computed tomography scan showing the parietal gaseous process. CONCLUSION: All necrotising fasciitis needs an abdominal computed tomography scan to look for abdominal diseases (in this case diverticulitis), as their overlapping presentation delays the diagnosis and consequently the treatment, making a fatal outcome inevitable.

Una relación potencialmente peligrosa: lupus eritematoso sistémico y enfermedad de Kikuchi - Fujimoto / A dangerous relation: Systemic lupus erythematosus disease and Kikuchi Fujimoto disease

Resumen La enfermedad de Kikuchi-Fujimoto (EKF) es conocida como una linfadenitis necrotizante histiocítica, tiene una presentación benigna y autolimitada, afecta principalmente a mujeres jóvenes y generalmente resuelve sin tratamiento en los primeros seis meses de los síntomas. Presentamos el caso de una mujer de 48 años quien consultó por un cuadro de dolor abdominal, mialgias y adenopatía cervical al examen físico. Se le encontró en los exámenes paraclínicos anticuerpos antinucleares 1:640, anti DNA de doble cadena asociado a consumo de complemento y anticuerpos anticardiolipina positivos. Se realizó biopsia de ganglio cervical que mostró necrosis cortical y población de histiocitos y linfocitos. Al iniciar el manejo con esteroides y cloroquina se comprobó mejoría franca y posteriormente la paciente fue dada de alta, continuando controles de manera ambulatoria por los servicios de reumatología y medicina interna.

Abstract Kikuchi disease, also known as histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, isa benign and self-limited condition that mainly affects young women andresolve without treatment within six months of symptoms. It was first describedin Japan in 1972 and is more common in Asian population. We report the case of a woman of 48 years who consults for abdominal pain, myalgia, and cervical lymphadenopathy on physical examination. He found himself in the presence of antinuclear antibodies paraclinical 1: 640 positive DNA double chain associated with complement consumption and positive cardiolipin antibodies We perform cervical node biopsy that showed the presence of cortical necrosis and histiocytes and lymphocytes population. When you start handling steroid and chloroquine, a high frank and subsequent improvement was observed, continuing control rheumatology and internal medicine.

[Prognostic factors related to mortality in newborns with necrotising enterocolitis]. / Factores pronóstico para mortalidad en neonatos con enterocolitis necrosante.

BACKGROUND: Necrotizing enterocolitis is the most frequent and severe acquired gastrointestinal disease in newborns and still has high mortality. There are few published papers about prognostic factors of death in our country. OBJECTIVE: To know the factors associated with death in patients with necrotizing enterocolitis. METHODS: Retrospective, descriptive, comparative study with a case-control design was conducted on patients with necrotizing enterocolitis during a 5-year period. RESULTS: Deceased patients had significantly lower platelet counts compared to survivors (P=0.022) and the prognostic factors associated with mortality were anaemia (P=0.006, OR = 15.62), stage III of necrotizing enterocolitis (P<0.001, OR = 47.5), to require surgical treatment (P<0.001, OR = 47.5), to have intestinal necrosis (P=0.001, OR = 48.5) or perforation (P=0.016, OR =24.25), to have medical complications, specifically intravascular disseminated coagulation (P<.001, RR = 98), and multi-organ failure (P<0.001, RR = 2). It was also found that patients with gastrointestinal symptoms and diagnosis of necrotising enterocolitis when they were hospitalized were more likely to have surgical treatment. CONCLUSIONS: We must be aware of the factors associated with mortality, as well as those associated with surgical treatment to reduce overall mortality for this condition.