Relationship between acute phase reactants and prognosis in patients with or without COVID-19 pneumonia

In December 2019, several cases of pneumonia of unknown origin were reported in the city of Wuhan, province of Hubei, China. The pathogen was named as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the disease was named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Acute phase reactans (APRs) are critical in the early diagnosis, treatment, and for monitoring the progression of COVID-19. Seventy two patients were included in the study and infections confirmed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Clinical parameters, the level of APFs and D-dimer were assessed and results were retrived from the patients’ medical records. Chest computed tomography (CT) findings were described for each patient and they were divided into two groups, with or without COVID-19 pneumonia. The correlation between APRs and CT findings and the patients’ prognosis were evaluated. Twenty eight (38.8%) of the 72 patients were female and 44 (61.2%) were male. The most common symptom was cough (43%) and the most common associated chronic disease was hypertension (12.5%). Thirty (41.6%) patients had completely normal chest CT, while 42 (58.4%) patients had typical findings in terms of COVID-19 pneumonia. C reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), ferritin, procalcitonin and D-Dimer levels were statistically significantly higher in patients with pneumonia than in those without pneumonia and these parameters were also statistically significantly higher in patients with severe illness. In conclusion, CRP, LDH, ESR, ferritin, and D-Dimer were associated with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. These biomarkers can be used to evaluate the prognosis to predict the clinical course of disease, allowing a proper management and treatment of the patients

Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging in the Differential Diagnosis of an Ectopic Intrathyroidal Thymus

Ectopic intrathyroidal thymus is caused by a hesitate in the migration of thymus during embryogenesis and is a rare cause of a nodular intrathyroidal lesion. Nodular thyroid lesions raise the suspicion of malignancy in the pediatric age group. Although rare, ectopic intrathyroidal thymus is usually misdiagnosed as a thyroid nodule and in addition to ultrasonography, further imaging techniques including MRI is performed. Fine needle aspiration biopsy or surgical excision, are also included in the management in thyroid nodules, because of the possibility of a malignancy. Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse-Imaging (ARFI) is a new method determining the tissue elasticity using short duration acoustic pulces and exciting the tissue in the selected region of interest. Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse-Imaging had been used in the differentiation of malign and benign thyroid nodules with or without in combination with gray-scale ultrasonography findings. We here present a case of intrathyroidal ectopic thymus in a 4 year-old boy diagnosed with the use of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse-Imaging in addition to gray scale and Doppler ultrasonography findings.</p

An Infant Presenting with Facial Asymmetry

WOS: 000406928300013Acute otitis media (AOM) is one of the most common infectious diseases in childhood. It is seen most often between 6-18 months of age. Although it is known to have many complications, peripheral facial palsy is an uncommon complication in infancy. Here, a 42-day-old infant with unilateral facial palsy secondary to AOM and mastoiditis is presented. Facial nerve palsy improved without surgery