Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography for the noninvasive diagnosis of liver fibrosis in children

Background: Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging) is correlated with histopathological findings using METAVIR and semiquantitative scoring system (SSS) criteria for liver fibrosis. Objective: To compare acoustic radiation force impulse imaging with biopsy results in the evaluation of liver fibrosis in children. Materials and methods: Children with chronic liver disease and healthy children underwent acoustic radiation force impulse imaging liver measurements. ARFI gives a shear-wave velocity corresponding to tissue elasticity. In 39 children with liver disease, the values obtained were correlated with biopsy results. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the reliability of ARFI in estimating liver fibrosis in children. Results: ARFI mean value was 1.12 in the healthy group and 1.99 in children with chronic liver disease. ROC curves show that an ARFI cutoff of 1.34m/s is predictive of both METAVIR and SSS scores with a sensitivity of SSS > 2:0.85; METAVIR > F0:0.82. A cutoff of 2m/s yielded a sensitivity of 100% to detect SSS > 4 or METAVIR > F2. Conclusion: Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging is a reliable, noninvasive and rapid method to estimate moderate to severe liver fibrosis in children. It might prove useful to clinicians for fibrosis monitoring in children with liver disease and postpone the time of liver biops

Le reflux gastro-oesphagien : attitude pratique

Gastroesophageal reflux is frequent source of consultation at the paediatrician's room, although most GER resolve spontaneously in infancy. In most cases, after a thorough anamnesis and a full physical examination prokinetic and anti-acid medications are started, as well as postural change, without the assistance of a specialist. When reflux is complicated by either oesophagitis, respiratory symptoms, failure to thrive or when the above treatment fail, further investigations need to be undertaken. Their option will depend on the clinical presentation. Rarely GER will lead to surgery

Electrogastrography reveals post-prandial gastric dysmotility in children with cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis patients have a wide spectrum of gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the function of gastroenteric neuromusculature and its response to a prokinetic

An overview of cow's milk allergy in children

Food allergies have increased over the past decade and are an important problem in daily clinical practice. They affect 6% of children and 3 to 4% of adults. Furthermore, around 20% of the population falsely believe that they are allergic to some foods and follow unnecessarily restrictive diets. For infants, the problem is even more acute as they need appropriate feeding in order to achieve normal growth and avoid bone and metabolic problems. Although any food can cause a reaction, few foods are responsible for the large majority of the symptoms: i.e., milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, nuts, fish, shellfish. Of these, cow's milk allergy is frequently suspected in small children. It can be responsible of a variety of symptoms and can be caused by IgE-mediated or non-IgE-mediated reactions. The diagnosis relies on a detailed history, skin tests, laboratory tests, an elimination diet and food challenges. The overall natural evolution of the disease is favourable with most patients achieving tolerance to milk by the age of five years, but some patients will remain allergic for life

Electrogastrography abnormalities appear early in children with diabetes type 1

The objective of the study was to evaluate gastric myoelectrical activity in young patients with diabetes and to correlate it with their metabolic control [fasting blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin, and fructosamine] and BMI during a 3 years follow-up

Mast cell-nerve interactions in children with functional dyspepsia

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Functional dyspepsia in childhood is commonly triggered by food allergen in sensitised individuals. We investigated the topography of eosinophils and mast cells in gastric antral lamina propria, the interaction of mast cell products with mucosal nerve fibres, and changes in gastric antral muscle slow wave activity in children with atopy and non-atopy-related functional dyspepsia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Open label study of gastric mucosal cow's milk challenge in 10 atopic and 6 nonatopic children (ages 2-12 years) investigated consecutively with gastroscopy for functional dyspepsia. Simultaneous surface electrogastrography and milk challenge were undertaken and laser scanning fluorescence microscopy used to examine the association of mast cell tryptase with mucosal nerves in the gastric mucosa before and after challenge. RESULTS: Eosinophils and mast cells within the lamina propria were increased in number in children with atopic functional dyspepsia and degranulated rapidly after cow's milk challenge in the atopic group. For degranulating eosinophils, median = 13.0% (interquartile range = 3.7-31.0) premilk versus 32.0% (12.0-42.0) after milk biopsies (P < 0.05); for degranulating mast cells, 5.35% (2.7-10.9) premilk biopsies versus 18.75% (12.9-22.1) after milk biopsies (P < 0.05). No such differences were seen in nonatopic patients. Mast cells were closely associated with mucosal nerve fibres and released tryptase, which colocalised with proteinase-activated receptors on mucosal nerve fibres. The gastric antral slow wave became abnormal within 2 minutes of antigen challenge in atopics with an increase in dominant frequency instability coefficient (P < 0.005), decrease in 3 cycles per minute myoelectrical activity (P < 0.01), and increase in bradygastria (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Early-onset neuroimmune interactions induced by cow's milk in the gastric mucosa of atopic children are associated with rapid disturbance of gastric myoelectrical activity and dyspeptic symptoms

Fatal GvHD as a complication of liver transplantation for undetermined fulminant hepatic failure and associated aplastic anemia

Fulminant hepatic failure of unknown origin is the most common cause of fulminant hepatitis with high incidence of aplastic anaemia. Furthermore, the association of liver failure and aplastic anaemia has an increased mortality rate. In this report we describe a 16-month-old boy who presented with aplastic anaemia preceding a non-A, non-B, non-C fulminant liver failure. He developed severe graft versus host disease (GvHD) after liver transplantation, proven by the presence of donor cells in the peripheral blood and in the skin biopsy. He received conventional therapy (steroids, mycophenolate, anti-IL-2 monoclonal antibodies, anti-thymocyte globulin) without success. In an attempt to obtain T cell depletion and reduce the GvHD, he was treated with Alemtuzumab, a first time use for this indication. Aplastic anaemia was extensively investigated, especially exploring the possibility of primary immunodeficiency and reticular dysgenesis which were excluded based on clinical history. However, another form of primary immunodeficiency could be the cause of the uncontrollable proliferation of the donor lymphocytes derived from the liver transplant. Despite aggressive treatment GvHD progressed and the patient died of multiorgan failure. The majority of authors mention aplastic anaemia as a secondary event post liver transplant, whereas in our view this might be a haematopoietic stem cell disorder preceding fulminant hepatic failure. These patients also need to be evaluated extensively in order to exclude a primary immunodeficiency. The underlying disease will determine the choice of immunosuppressive treatment, especially in case of development of GvHD caused by the transplanted lymphocytes inhabiting the donor liver

Lymphocytic leiomyositis and myenteric ganglionitis are intrinsic features of cystic fibrosis: studies in distal intestinal obstruction syndrome and meconium ileus

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multisystem disorder intrinsically associated with inflammation of mucosal surfaces. Because inflammation can result in enteric neuromuscular dysfunction we hypothesized that terminal ileitis in patients with CF may predispose to distal ileal obstruction syndrome (DIOS)

Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography for the noninvasive diagnosis of liver fibrosis in children

Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging) is correlated with histopathological findings using METAVIR and semiquantitative scoring system (SSS) criteria for liver fibrosis