Enteroviral meningitis in children: Clinical and laboratory features with and without pleocytosis.

BACKGROUND: Enteroviruses (EV) are most common causes of the etiologically known aseptic meningitis in children. EV can be detected with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. We aimed to evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics of children diagnosed with PCR-confirmed EV meningitis in CSF samples. PATIENTS: Patients aged 1 month to 17 years who underwent lumbar puncture (LP) with suspected meningitis and had CSF viral PCR and culture results between September 2012 and January 2021 at a tertiary care hospital in Turkey were included. METHODS: Patients with no virus detected in CSF samples by PCR was comprised PCR-negative group. The EV PCR-positive patients were divided into two groups based on CSF pleocytosis as enteroviral meningitis (EVM) with CSF pleocytosis and EVM without CSF pleocytosis, and compared in terms of clinical and laboratory features. RESULTS: 78 (38.2%) were EV PCR-positive, and 126 (61.8%) were PCR-negative. Pleocytosis was detected in 55 (70.5%) EV PCR-positive patients and 94 (74.6%) of PCR-negative patients. Convulsion was significantly frequent (p=0.017) in EV PCR-positive patients with no pleocytosis. Protein and lactate concentrations in CSF were significantly higher in EV PCR-positive patients with pleocytosis (p=0.048, p=0.001, respectively). Median hospital stay was significantly longer in PCR-negative group (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Diagnosing EVM with PCR prevents long-term hospitalization, unnecessary antibiotic use and healthcare-related complications.

Short- and long-term neurological outcomes of congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

Background/aim: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common congenital viral infection. Although most children with congenital CMV (approximately 85%-90%) are asymptomatic at birth, findings such as sensorineural hearing loss, microcephaly, and neurodevelopmental retardation can be observed during the follow-up. Among the brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of CMV are white matter abnormalities, polymicrogyria, and periventricular calcification. Since a definitive diagnosis of congenital CMV cannot be made after the neonatal period, the identification of the associated phenotype is diagnostically important, but data are limited in patients who have been retrospectively diagnosed with congenital CMV infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short- and long-term neurological follow-up results of congenital CMV infections in a tertiary hospital. Materials and methods: The neurological results of fifteen patients under the age of 18 years, who had a definitive diagnosis of congenital CMV infection and were followed up in a tertiary care hospital between 2011 and 2020, were retrospectively evaluated. Results: Ten of the patients in our study group were male. The mean age at presentation for neurological evaluation was 2.02 ± 1.54 months, with a median follow-up time of 36.3 months (range: 9.3-129.4 months). Neurological disorders detected during the long-term follow-up included cerebral palsy (46.7%), cognitive impairment (46.7%), epilepsy (40%), and sensorineural hearing loss (26.7%). The most common abnormality observed on MRI scans was white matter involvement (53.3%). Conclusion: Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial in congenital CMV infection, as it commonly results in neurological involvement among the patients in our series. This preventable condition warrants further research regarding prenatal/neonatal screening.

Distinguishing orbital cellulitis from preseptal cellulitis in children.

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate clinical and laboratory characteristics of children with preseptal cellulitis (PC) and orbital cellulitis (OC) and also to determine whether clinical and/or laboratory parameters could be used to distinguish OC from PC. METHODS: The medical records of pediatric patients (aged between 1 month and 18 years) with PC and OC who had been hospitalized at our center from January 2008 to December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to identify possible parameters useful in differentiating between PC and OC. RESULTS: A total of 375 patients [202 (53.9%) boys], of whom 35 (9.3%) had OC, were evaluated. Median age was 44 (range, 1-192) months. Compared to those with PC, patients with OC were older (p = 0.001), had fever, upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) symptoms, and sinusitis more frequently, and demonstrated prolonged symptom and hospitalization times (p Ë‚ 0.001 for all). Significant differences between groups were observed for numerous laboratory parameters; however, multivariable regression analysis revealed that only C-reactive protein (CRP) and platelet count could be used to predict OC among the laboratory findings. Taken together, factors independently associated with OC diagnosis were proptosis, ophthalmoplegia, age (>35 months), CRP level (˃116.5 mg/L), and platelet count (˃420.5 × 103/mm3). CONCLUSION: In addition to showing previously known properties of OC versus PC, our study demonstrated that combined demographic, clinical and laboratory factors such as being aged above 35 months, having a CRP level of ˃116.5 mg/L, and platelet count of ˃ 420.5 × 103/mm3 could be used to distinguish OC from PC.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 pandemic in Turkey: A single-centre experience.

AIM: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection may result in a life-threatening hyperinflammatory condition named multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). We aimed to assess demographics, clinical presentations, laboratory characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with MIS-C. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of patients with MIS-C managed between August 2020 and March 2021 at Dr. Sami Ulus Maternity Child Health and Diseases Training and Research Hospital in Turkey. RESULTS: A total of 45 patients (23 male, 51%) with a median age of 8.7 years (interquartile range: 5.6-11.7 years) were enrolled to study. The SARS-CoV-2 serology was positive in 43 (95%) patients. Organ-system involvement included the dermatologic in 41 (91%), cardiovascular in 39 (87%), hematologic in 36 (80%) and gastrointestinal in 36 (80%) patients. Acute anterior uveitis was diagnosed in nine (20%) patients. Two patients presented with clinical findings of deep neck infection such as fever, neck pain, trismus, swelling and induration on the cervical lymph node. One patient presented with Henoch-Schonlein purpura-like eruption. Coronary artery dilatation was detected in five (11%) patients. For treatment of MIS-C, intravenous immunoglobulin was used in 44 (98%) patients, methylprednisolone in 27 (60%) and anakinra in 9 (20%) patients. The median duration of hospitalisation was nine days. All patients recovered. CONCLUSIONS: Children with MIS-C might have variable clinical presentations. Acute anterior uveitis might be a prominent presentation of MIS-C and require ophthalmological examination. It is essential to make patient-based decisions and apply a stepwise approach for the treatment of this life-threatening disease.