Non-small cell lung carcinoma in an adolescent manifested by acute paraplegia due to spinal metastases: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Bronchial carcinomas in childhood and adolescence are extremely rare; only individual cases have been reported previously.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report on a 16-year-old Caucasian German boy with non-small cell lung carcinoma (squamous cell non-small cell lung carcinoma) stage IV, T4N2M1, without epidermal growth factor receptor overexpression and/or mutation or k-ras mutation. He presented with paraplegia due to spinal metastases of the bronchial carcinoma. No familial predisposition or toxin exposure was identified. Treatment following adult protocols consisted of surgical intervention for spinal metastases, first-line cisplatinum and gemcitabine, irradiation and second-line docetaxel. After a transient response our patient experienced disease progression and died about 10 months later.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Response and survival in our 16-year-old patient were similar to adult patients with stage IV non-small cell lung carcinoma.</p

Chronic arthritis in children and adolescents in two Indian health service user populations

BACKGROUND: High prevalence rates for rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthopathies, and systemic lupus erythematosus have been described in American Indian and Alaskan Native adults. The impact of these diseases on American Indian children has not been investigated. METHODS: We used International Classification of Diseases-9 (ICD-9) codes to search two Indian Health Service (IHS) patient registration databases over the years 1998–2000, searching for individuals 19 years of age or younger with specific ICD-9-specified diagnoses. Crude estimates for disease prevalence were made based on the number of individuals identified with these diagnoses within the database. RESULTS: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) / juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) was the most frequent diagnosis given. The prevalence rate for JRA in the Oklahoma City Area was estimated as 53 per 100,000 individuals at risk, while in the Billings Area, the estimated prevalence was nearly twice that, at 115 per 100,000. These rates are considerably higher than those reported in the most recent European studies. CONCLUSION: Chronic arthritis in childhood represents an important, though unrecognized, chronic health challenge within the American Indian population living in the United States

Food in My Neighborhood: Exploring the Food Environment through Photovoice with Urban, African American Youth

<p>This study adapted Photovoice methodology for younger participants to better understand the perceptions of urban African American youth on their food environments and diets. Youth (<i>n</i> = 17, ages 10–13 years) photographed and described, using novel narrative-based activities, the myriad places they regularly acquired “junk food” from environments saturated with such but differed in their assessments of the availability and desirability of more nutritious alternative foods. Youth often discussed specific foods as well as peers and adults in their lives as either entirely “healthy” or “unhealthy.” This concrete thinking should be considered when designing messaging strategies to improve diets in similar populations. Overall, Photovoice is an engaging and effective method to engage youth in efforts to improve food environments and diets.</p

Sialochemistry in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether there are any differences in salivary flow rates and saliva composition that may contribute to the reported increase in caries prevalence in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: The sialochemistry of children with JIA has rarely been investigated. METHODS: Unstimulated and stimulated whole saliva was collected from 17 randomly selected JIA patients and 17 age and sex matched controls. Both samples were analysed for salivary flow rate, pH, calcium and phosphate. RESULTS: Unstimulated and stimulated JIA saliva flow rates, and the flow rate change from unstimulated to stimulated in JIA saliva were all significantly lower than the controls. There were no significant differences in the pH of unstimulated and stimulated JIA saliva compared with the controls, however, the change in pH (from unstimulated to stimulated) in the study group was significantly greater. The JIA patients had non-significantly lower levels of both calcium and phosphate ions in the unstimulated and stimulated samples. CONCLUSIONS: This data would suggest that there is both a reduced resting salivary flow and a reduced response to stimulation in JIA patients, which may contribute to a previously reported higher caries prevalence

Co-Principal Investigator

This research was supported by a Joint Statistical Agreement with the Bureau of the Census. The views, opinions, and findings contained in this report are those of the author and should not be construed aa an official Bureau of the Census position, policy, or decision, unless 80 designated by other officia