Journal of Paediatric Care Insight A Deep Esophageal Injury from a Lithium Battery: A Case Report

Abstract Context: Over the last ten years the ingestion of disk batteries and its serious consequences have been increasing. The severity of injury is related to a growing diffusion of the new lithium battery that may cause catastrophic damages when lodged in the esophagus in children. Case report: A five-year-old boypresented to the Emergency Department of our tertiary pediatric Institute for a lithium battery lodged in the mid esophagus. Emergent esophagoscopy revealed a severe deep, mild bleeding ulceration of the wall in which the battery was partially wedged. The investigation was stopped and on-call cardio-vascular surgeon started left thoracotomy to exclude damages of the main vessels. With the thorax open, the endoscopy was repeated and a directional relationship between the battery and the aorta was excluded by means of transillumination. The cell, a CR2032 lithium battery, was then removed. Central line parenteral nutrition, i.v. omeprazole plus antibiotics were started with a drainage tube left in the chest. During the follow-up the child undergone several chest X-rays with the suspicion of esophageal perforation. Angio-TC done on day 7 showed air into the thickened esophageal wall and in the mediastinum with severe peri-aortic edema without lesion of the vessel. MRi performed on day 21 showed only a persistent thickening of the esophageal wall. On day 28 an esophagogram was normal and the child was discharged asymptomatic. Two months later the investigation was repeated resulting entirely normal. Conclusions: Treatment of disk battery ingestion requires a multidisciplinary approach that can be implemented only in a tertiary pediatric hospital. Surgery can play an important role. Severe complications can occur several days after battery removal

Role of Management Strategies in Reducing Mortality From Invasive Fungal Disease in Children With Cancer or Receiving Hemopoietic Stem Cell Transplant

n/

Predictive Value of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in Clinical Remission

Objective To define the prevalence of subclinical synovitis on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a large cohort of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in clinical remission and to evaluate its predictive value in terms of disease flare and joint deterioration. Methods Ninety patients with clinically inactive JIA who underwent a contrast-enhanced (CE)-MRI of a previously affected joint were retrospectively included. Each joint was evaluated for synovitis, tenosynovitis, and bone marrow edema. Baseline and follow-up radiographs were assessed to evaluate structural damage progression. Results CE-MRI was acquired in 45 wrists, 30 hips, 13 ankles, and 2 knees. Subclinical synovitis was detected in 59 (65.5%) of 90 patients and bone marrow edema in 42 (46.7%) of 90 patients. Fifty-seven of 90 (63.3%) patients experienced a disease flare during follow-up. Forty-four of 59 (74.6%) patients with subclinical synovitis experienced a disease flare versus 13 (41.9%) of 31 patients with no residual synovitis on MRI (P = 0.002). The presence of subclinical synovitis was the best predictor of disease flare on multivariable regression analysis (hazard ratio [HR] 2.45, P = 0.003). Baseline and follow-up radiographs were available for 54 patients, and 17 (31.5%) of 54 patients experienced radiographic damage progression. The presence of bone marrow edema (HR 4.40, P = 0.045) and being >17 years old (HR 3.51, P = 0.04) were strong predictors of joint damage progression in the multivariable analysis. Conclusion MRI-detected subclinical inflammation was present in a large proportion of patients with JIA despite clinical remission. Subclinical synovitis and bone marrow edema have been shown to play a role in predicting the risk of disease relapse and joint deterioration, with potential implications for patients' management of the disease

Non-contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography for detecting crossing renal vessels in infants and young children: comparison with contrast-enhanced angiography and surgical findings

Background: Knowing that ureteropelvic junction obstruction is due to a crossing renal vessel is essential in choosing the appropriate surgical treatment. Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of non-contrast magnetic resonance (MR) angiography in identifying crossing renal vessels in children younger than 4 years old with unilateral hydronephrosis. Materials and methods: A retrospective review of preoperative MR urography of children with unilateral hydronephrosis was conducted by two independent readers. The presence or absence of crossing renal vessels was identified and compared with surgical findings. Results: Twenty-nine patients were included. The disagreement between MR angiography with and without contrast enhancement in detecting a crossing renal vessel was 8%. The disagreement between non-contrast-enhanced MR and surgical findings was 17%. The disagreement between contrast-enhanced MR angiography and surgical findings was 25%. The balanced triggered angiography without contrast enhancement had a sensitivity of 70% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 35-93%) and a specificity of 93% (95% CI: 66-100%). Contrast-enhanced MR angiography had a sensitivity of 56% (95% CI: 21-86%) and a specificity of 91%. (95% CI: 59-100%). Conclusion: MR without contrast enhancement may be a reliable, valid and safe alternative to contrast-enhanced MR angiography for identifying crossing renal vessels

Epidemiology of invasive fungal diseases in children with solid tumours undergoing autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a 10-year experience in a tertiary Italian centre

The objective of the study was to determine the incidence of invasive fungal disease (IFD) in children undergoing autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auHSCT) for solid tumours (ST). Retrospective study on auHSCT was performed in children with ST (January 2006-December 2015). Data on the number of patient-days at risk (pdr) during the first 30 and 90\uc2 days after auHSCT and cases of proven/probable IFDs were collected. Infection rate (IR, episodes/1000 pdr) and proportions and cumulative risk (CR) of IFD were evaluated. In 186 patients, 270 auHSCT were performed, for a total of 8327 pdr during the first 30\uc2 days and 24\uc2 366 up to day 90. Median age was 5\uc2 years (interquartile range 2;8), 63% were male. At day 30, seven procedures were complicated by IFD, with an IR of 0.84 (95% CI 0.66-1.02) and aCR of 2.6% (95% CI 1.4-5.4) at 18\uc2 days after HSCT. Within day 90, two further IFDs were detected with an IR of 0.37 (95% CI \ue2\u88\u920.49 to 1.23) and a CR of 3.3% (95% CI 1.7-6.3) at day 69. Children undergoing auHSCT for ST have a low incidence of IFDs in the first 90\uc2 days after the procedure

Effect of the inclusion of the metacarpophalangeal joints on the wrist magnetic resonance imaging scoring system in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Objective. To extend the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) score for assessment of wrist synovitis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) by inclusion of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints, and to compare the metric properties of the original and the extended score. Methods. Wrist MRI of 70 patients with JIA were scored by 3 independent readers according to (1) the wrist component of the rheumatoid arthritis MRI synovitis score (comprising distal radioulnar, radiocarpal, and combined midcarpal and carpometacarpal joints); and (2) an extended score including the MCP joints. Thirty-eight patients had a 1-year MRI followup. The concordance between the readers [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), 95% limits of agreement (LOA), and weighted Cohen's k], correlations with clinical variables (Spearman's q), and the sensitivity to change [standardized response mean (SRM)] were calculated for both scores. Results. The interreader agreement was moderate for the original score (ICC 0.77; 95% CI 0.68-0.84) and good for the extended score (ICC 0.86; 95% CI 0.80-0.91). Using 95% LOA, the aggregate score variability was less favorable with relatively wide LOA. Weighted Cohen's k of the individual joints indicated good agreement for the original score and good to excellent agreement for the extended score. Correlations with clinical variables reflecting disease activity improved for the extended score and its SRM was higher compared to that of the original score. Conclusion. The extended score showed better reliability, construct validity, and sensitivity to change than the original. Inclusion of the MCP joints should be considered for a more accurate assessment of disease activity and treatment efficacy in JIA