Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) with Retropharyngeal Involvement Mimicking Abscess: the Therapeutic Role of Anakinra.

Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a new diagnostic entity that appeared with the Covid-19 pandemic, and that only concerns the pediatric age. Early diagnosis and early immunomodulatory treatment lead most of the time to a complete resolution of the pathology. We present a case of MIS-C, whose main clinical feature was neck pain due to inflammation of retropharyngeal tissues. The use of anakinra was critical for healing.

Fetal-Type Rhabdomyoma of the Cheek: A Conservative Management.

Extracardiac rhabdomyomas are rare benign mesenchymal tumors diagnosed upon radiological and hystologic investigations and the treatment of choice is surgical exertion. There aren't any similar cases managed conservatively reported in literature as in our case, to the best of our knowledge. We present a rare case of fetal cheek rhabdomyoma diagnosed in a healthy 2 months-old boy, with asymptomatic mass over the left masseter. The lesion could not be removed, due to the size and dimensions and the young age of the patient. However, the lesion did not show signs of spreading or progression over a 36 months follow-up. Fetal rhabdomyoma is a benign tumor, often located in the head and neck district, where surgery, especially in very young children, is associated with a high risk of complications and long-term sequelae. Our case report demonstrates the possibility to manage these lesions conservatively in the first years of life with close sonographic and clinical follow-up.

Neurodegeneration in a novel invertebrate model system: Failed microtubule-mediated cell adhesion and unraveling of macroglia.

Neurodegenerative diseases are among the main causes of death in the United States, leading to irreversible disintegration of neurons. Despite intense international research efforts, cellular mechanisms that initiate neurodegeneration remain elusive, thus inhibiting the development of effective preventative and early onset medical treatment. To identify underlying cellular mechanisms that initiate neuron degeneration, it is critical to identify histological and cellular hallmarks that can be linked to underlying biochemical processes. Due to the poor tissue preservation of degenerating mammalian brain tissue, our knowledge regarding histopathological hallmarks of early to late degenerative stages is only fragmentary. Here, we introduce a novel model organism to study histological hallmarks of neurodegeneration, the spider Cupiennius salei. We utilized toluidine blue-stained 0.9-µm serial semithin and 50-nm ultrathin sections of young and old spider nervous tissue. Our findings suggest that the initial stages of neurodegeneration in spiders may be triggered by (1) dissociation of neuron- and glia-derived microtubules, and (2) the weakening of microtubule-associated desmosomal junctions that lead to the unraveling of neuron-insulating macroglia, compromising the structural integrity of affected neurons. The involvement of macroglia in the disposal of neuronal debris described here-although different in the proposed transport mechanisms-shows resemblance to the mammalian glymphatic system. We propose that this model system is highly suitable to investigate invertebrate neurodegenerative processes from early onset to scar formation and that this knowledge may be useful for the study of neurodegeneration in mammalian tissue.

[Mental health and pandemic in children and adolescents: what is likely to label as "long-covid".] / Salute mentale e pandemia nei bambini e adolescenti: quello che si rischia di etichettare come long-covid.

Long-covid is a typical condition of adults with a history of probable or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in the previous 3 months and with symptoms lasting over 2 months not explained by an alternative diagnosis. In pediatric age the lack of significative differences comparing the reported symptoms between seropositive and seronegative suggests that long-covid might be less common than previously thought, emphasizing the impact of pandemic-associated symptoms regarding the well-being and mental health of young adolescents. Many children-adolescents, who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection or not, have a health request to which we must respond with a professional approach aimed at a complex functional rehabilitation. The risk is that the "long-covid" becomes a "long-inattention" on relevant mental health problems.

[Unicentric Castleman disease: a blind lymph node.] / Malattia di Castleman unicentrica: un linfonodo nascosto.

The paper reports the case of a 13-year-old female adolescent presenting with persistent fever. She had no other significant symptoms or signs. Laboratory examinations showed mild anemia and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrosedimentation rate (ERS). The abdominal ultrasonography revealed para-aortic lymphadenopathy that was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) that showed no other locations. The patient underwent laparoscopic excision but complete removal was not possible due to the position of the mass. The histological exam documented unicentric Castleman's disease. After surgery a clinical improvement was assisted but with persistence of very high CPR, ERS and serum amyloid. According to guidelines, she was treated with tocilizumab achieving complete remission of indices of inflammation. In the case with symptomatic unresectable unicentric Castleman's disease treatment with anti-IL-6 agents should be considered.

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Shoulder Pyomyositis with Multifocal Lung Infiltrations.

Pyomyositis is a rare condition in temperate climates. We present a case of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus pyomyositis of the shoulder complicated by multifocal lung infiltrations, treated successfully with antibiotic therapy. After excluding shoulder septic arthritis, a low threshold of suspicion for the diagnosis of shoulder pyomyositis should be applied to patients with persistent fever, pain, and decreased range of shoulder motion. A prompt diagnosis and a rapid rise in antibiotic therapy are important to avoid local and systemic complications.