Case report of an infant with congenital mesoblastic nephroma leading to pulmonary metastasis.

Congenital mesoblastic nephroma is considered a tumour with favourable clinical behaviour with only few reported cases of metastases. We report an infant who underwent complete resection and later developed pulmonary metastasis. Ten-month-old baby girl initially presented at 3 weeks of age with macroscopic haematuria, hypertension and a lumbar mass. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a tumour arising from the left kidney without local invasion or metastasis. She underwent left nephrectomy. Immunohistochemistry confirmed a cellular type of congenital mesoblastic nephroma. At 10 months, she presented with difficulty in breathing. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed an opacity in the right hemi-thorax. Histology of lung mass was suggestive of deposits from the previously excised mesoblastic nephroma. She developed a right-sided haemothorax and succumbed. This case report highlights the fact that even though congenital mesoblastic nephromas are considered tumours with favourable clinical behaviour, they can present later with distant metastasis. Therefore, clinicians need to be aware of this rare malignant potential and adhere to meticulous follow-up protocols.

A Sri Lankan infant with immunoglobulin resistant incomplete Kawasaki disease with a vesicular psoriasiform rash, hypertension and late onset small joint arthritis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a medium and small vessel vasculitis which usually has a good response to immunoglobulin therapy (IVIG). We present a case of incomplete KD with IVIG resistance associated with an unusual combination of vesicular guttate-psoriasiform rash, hypertension and late onset small joint arthritis. CASE PRESENTATION: A four-month-old male infant from Sri Lanka presented with high fever, conjunctival redness, pedal oedema and skin rash. He was found to have hypertension since admission with a high white cell count and high inflammatory markers. There was poor response to intravenous antibiotics and subsequent 2D echocardiogram revealed coronary artery aneurysms suggestive of KD. In the third week of illness he developed a vesiculo-papular rash involving face, trunk and limbs - which on biopsy revealed features of guttate psoriasis. Fever spikes continued and the coronary arteries showed progressive dilatation despite timely intravenous immunoglobulin administered on day 6 and methylprednisolone administered on day 10-13. Therapeutic response by means of reduction of fever was seen only after initiation of intravenous infliximab on day 28 of illness for which the fever responded within 24 hours. He developed a small joint arthritis of hands and feet on day 40 of illness which responded only after initiating methotrexate therapy. The hypertension persisted for 4 months after the onset of the illness before complete resolution. CONCLUSION: This case report depicts an unusual presentation of KD with a vesicular guttate-psoriasiform eruption, hypertension and late onset small joint arthritis. It highlights that clinicians should be aware of the fact that KD could present with such atypical manifestations and could develop unusual complications.

Validating the Medical Students' Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ) from a Sri Lankan medical faculty.

OBJECTIVES: The Medical Students' Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ) is a specific tool to assess the degree of stress in medical students. However, this tool has not been validated in Sri Lanka. Therefore, this study contextually adapted the MSSQ and investigated its validity in the local context. METHODS: A total of 603 medical students, in various phases of their undergraduate training, from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Colombo, participated in the study. Students who have completed their studies in the faculty for at least six months were included. The self-administered questionnaire was contextually adapted to the local setting and was approved by subject and language experts. Responses were analysed for construct validity (including exploratory factor analysis to estimate factor structure of the scale), sample adequacy, and internal consistency. Data were analysed using the SPSS statistical package. RESULTS: The mean age of the study cohort was 23.3 ± SD 2.0 years, while 258 (42.8%) were males. The MSSQ scale significantly correlated with the General Health Questionnaire (p<0.001), indicating a strong concurrent validity. The exploratory factor analysis showed that items were loaded appropriately on five new factors, and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure (0.954) and Bartlett's test of sphericity (p<0.001) showed excellent sample adequacy. The internal consistency of the MSSQ overall (α = 0.95), and each of the new factors: (α > 0.82 for the first four factors and α = 0.54 for the fifth) were satisfactory. The test-retest reliability was high (Pearson's r = 0.918, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The contextually adapted MSSQ is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used in the assessment of stress among medical students.

Severe Disfiguring Scalp and Facial Oedema due to Henoch-Schönlein Purpura in a Child.

Henoch-Schönlein purpura is a small vessel vasculitis that usually presents with palpable purpura, arthritis, abdominal pain, and nephritis. Subcutaneous oedema of dependent areas is common; however, oedema in the scalp is extremely rare especially in children older than two years. Here, we report a child with massive disfiguring scalp and facial oedema due to Henoch-Schönlein purpura. An eight-year-old boy presented with characteristic palpable purpuric rash and extensive disfiguring scalp and facial swelling for five days. He complained of blurred vision, vomiting, and severe headache on the day of admission. Examination revealed an ill child with extensive oedema of the face and scalp that was tender on palpation. His blood pressure was above the 99th percentile, and he had exaggerated deep tendon reflexes and extensor plantar responses. All biochemical investigations including renal function tests were normal. Noncontrast CT head showed normal brain, with marked soft tissue swelling of the scalp. Ultrasonography showed soft tissue oedema within and surrounding facial muscles without evidence of neck vessel compression. Urine analysis revealed microscopic haematuria on day 14 of the illness, and immunohistochemical staining of renal biopsy confirmed Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis. In conclusion, this case report presents a child with severe, disfiguring scalp and facial oedema due to Henoch-Schönlein purpura. It highlights that severe subcutaneous oedema of Henoch-Schönlein purpura can involve any part of the body not limiting to dependent areas.

Serum chymase levels correlate with severe dengue warning signs and clinical fluid accumulation in hospitalized pediatric patients.

Dengue induces a spectrum of severity in humans from the milder dengue fever to severe disease, or dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). Chymase is a candidate biomarker that may aid dengue prognosis. This prospective study aimed to identify whether warning signs of severe dengue, including hypovolemia and fluid accumulation, were associated with elevated chymase. Serum chymase levels were quantified prospectively and longitudinally in hospitalized pediatric dengue patients in Sri Lanka. Warning signs were determined based on daily clinical assessments, laboratory tests and ultrasound findings. Chymase was significantly elevated during the acute phase of disease in DHF or Severe dengue, defined by either the 1997 or 2009 WHO diagnosis guidelines, and persisted longer in the most severe patients. Chymase levels were higher in patients with narrow pulse pressure and clinical warning signs such as severe leakage, fluid accumulation, pleural effusion, gall-bladder wall thickening and rapid haematocrit rise concurrent with thrombocytopenia. No association between chymase and liver enlargement was observed. This study confirms that serum chymase levels are associated with DHF/Severe dengue disease in hospitalized pediatric patients. Chymase levels correlate with warning signs of vascular dysfunction highlighting the possible functional role of chymase in vascular leakage during dengue.

Delayed-onset sinus node dysfunction in a child victim of Russell's viper bite.

Cardiac complications following envenomation by Russell's viper venom are uncommon. We describe a 14-year-old girl who developed delayed-onset sinus node dysfunction. She presented with mucosal bleeding, ptosis, and muscle weakness. Her 20-min whole blood clotting time and international normalized ratio were prolonged. The initial electrocardiogram showed sinus tachycardia. Her systemic manifestations responded to antivenom serum. After 24 h, she developed bradycardia and electrocardiography showed sinus node dysfunction with sinus arrest and an atrial escape rhythm. This case shows that arrhythmias can have a delayed onset even after resolution of other systemic manifestations, and even after treatment with antivenom serum.