Helvetica paediatrica acta最新文献

This report concerns a boy presenting renal disease with tubulointerstitial nephropathy which suggests familial juvenile nephronophthisis, hepatosplenomegaly due to congenital hepatic fibrosis, tapetoretinal degeneration, probable endocrine involvement and congenital skeletal abnormalities. The associations presented in this paper have not previously been reported.

Between 1967 and 1987 58 children with the diagnosis of neuroblastoma or ganglioneuroblastoma, all under 10 years of age, were admitted to the University Children's Hospital of Zurich for treatment. According to Evan's classification, 8 (14%) patients had stage I disease, 5 (9%) stage II, 6 (10%) stage III, 26 (45%) stage IV, and 13 (22%) stage IV-S. The 2-year survival rate of 46 patients with adequate follow-up was 6/6 (100%) for stage I, 4/4 (100%) for stage II, 5/6 (83%) for stage III, 6/23 (26%) for stage IV, and 7/7 (100%) for stage IV-S. The excellent results in stage IV-S patients confirm the active but cautious treatment policy. Analysis of catecholamine metabolites in 24-hour urine collections proved to be a reliable method to evaluate the further course: all 21 children who showed complete normalization of metabolite levels during therapy, survived.

A chronic diarrhea accompanied by vomiting and weight loss was the major symptom in a one-year-old infant during a fulminant course of histiocytosis X. The diagnosis was suggested by the radiologic evidence of alternating dilated and stenotic segments in the small and large bowel as well by a massive intestinal protein loss and the presence of histiocytes in the mucosa and submucosa of the rectum. The histological picture of enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes, obtained during a diagnostic laparotomy, confirmed the diagnosis.

Osteoporosis, a recognized complication of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), may be related to this complex metabolic disorder; moreover, some data emphasize an altered vitamin D metabolism or parathyroid hormone secretion. Mineral homeostasis was studied in 29 children with IDDM (18 males, 11 females; 2.6-18.0 years). In 17 patients a stimulatory test (low-calcium diet) was performed for PTH and 1.25(OH)2D. Bone mineral content (BMC) and BMC/BW were lower in respect to our normal values; bone mineral loss was directly related to HbA1c levels and insulin requirements. A significant decrease of ionized calcium (p less than 0.001) and magnesium (p less than 0.001) was found; intact PTH values were in the low normal range but decreased for the ionized calcium values. 1.25(OH)2D levels were not significantly different from normal levels. 1.25(OH)2D and intact PTH did not rise during stimulatory test. The lack of 1.25(OH)2D and intact PTH increase after the stimulatory test may be due to the parathyroid gland's hyporesponsiveness related to hypomagnesemia which impaired PTH release and/or PTH action. Our data confirm an involvement of 1.25(OH)2D and PTH regulation in diabetic osteoporosis.

Case report of an unusual location of a ganglioneuroma in the retropharyngeal region. The tumor was successfully removed.

Computer-assisted tomography (CT) with 2 mm axial sections and reconstructions was carried out in 31 children affected by GH deficiency (GHD): 18 with idiopathic complete isolated GHD, 3 with idiopathic partial isolated GHD, 2 with idiopathic panhypopituitarism, 4 with isolated acquired GHD and 4 with acquired panhypopituitarism. Density in the intrasellar area on CT corresponded to that of cerebrospinal fluid in 13/20 cases with idiopathic hypopituitarism and in 2/8 cases with acquired hypopituitarism. The overall incidence of primary empty sella syndrome (PESS) in the GH deficient patients studied was thus over 48%, while in children without endocrine dysfunction, it was only 5/213 (2.4%). It is concluded that PESS is more frequent in childhood than assumed until now and that it is frequently associated with GHD.

This paper reports a randomized clinical trial to study the effect of an intravenous gamma-globulin preparation to prevent sepsis in pre-term newborn infants. 80 infants were enrolled: 37 of birthweight less than or equal to 1500 g and 43 of birthweight 1501-2000 g. In each group 20 infants received an intravenous preparation of gamma-globulin (0.5 g/kg/wk); the remaining 17 and 20, respectively, served as control cases. No significant differences in the occurrence of sepsis were observed between the group receiving prophylactively intravenous gamma-globulin and the control group. This is particularly evident in infants under intensive care (35% of the total population): in this group 2/3 of sepsis occurred in infants who received IgG. Among the infants with sepsis, the presence of an umbilical artery catheterization represented a significant risk-factor. The post-dose increment of serum IgG did not differ significantly in infants with and without sepsis; the post-dose serum disappearance rate in concentration appears identical in the two groups.

The study was performed on a group of 91 children with their first febrile convulsion whose parents were then instructed in the use of rectal diazepam in the event of a further seizure. later, the families were periodically recalled for interviews. The aim was to study the acceptance and cooperation of the families, the psychological attitude and the relation between the findings and parents' educational level. At the end of the follow-up, 80% of the 91 families showed good cooperation and psychological benefits. There was no relationship between the findings at the end of the follow-up and families' educational level. Even in the presence of a favorable psychological attitude, recurrences of febrile convulsions were still a frightening experience for many parents.

Seventeen of 75 diabetic children without nephropathy had urinary calcium excretion of more than 4 mg/kg/day. Neither diurnal variation in calciuria, nor correlations between calcium excretion and glucose excretion as well as HbA1 levels were observed. The findings suggest that about one quarter of diabetic children is at risk for hypercalciuria and may be for renal damage due to hyperexcretion of calcium.

Primary hyperoxaluria type I (PH I) is characterized by an excessive endogenous production and excretion of oxalic and glycolic acid. Prognosis of this "inborn error of metabolism" is not favorable due to calcium-oxalate depositions in kidney and other organs. Vitamin B6 administration and/or renal transplantation can greatly improve the prognosis, as reported in literature. In this article our experience with 5 patients with vitamin B6 resistant hyperoxaluria is reported. Symptomatology and progression of the primary disease are described. The results of treatment interfering with oxalate production and calcium-oxalate crystallization are given. Three patients underwent renal replacement therapy. In these, oxalosis developed during hemodialysis and progressed following transplantation; a disabling bone disease was the most severe complication. Outcome of transplantation was disappointing. In two out of three patients, there was recurrence of the primary disease in the graft. In only one of them long-term graft function was satisfying. However, even this good function could not prevent disabling symptoms of oxalosis. Therefore, evaluation of the results of transplantation should not only include data related to graft function and survival, but also the complications due to calcium-oxalate depositions in various organs. To prevent oxalosis, kidney transplantation should be performed before end stage renal disease is achieved in patients with vitamin B6 resistant PH I.