ABSTRACT
Background: Renal blood flow evaluation during malaria illness is rarely done despite the high incidence of kidney injury from malaria and availability of Doppler ultrasound scanners in malaria endemic areas. Aims: This study is to evaluate the renal blood flow changes using Doppler ultrasonography among uncomplicated and complicated malaria subsets of pediatric patient with laboratory evidence of malaria parasitemia and without background clinical and laboratory evidence of renal impairment. And to compare these with parameters of age matched healthy pediatric control. Study Design: This was a prospective case control study of renal Doppler indices in children with acute malaria. Place of Study: The study was conducted among pediatric patients presenting at the children outpatient clinics, emergency and pediatric wards of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan Nigeria. Methodology: Doppler indices of 602 kidneys were evaluated among 85 uncomplicated (UM), 85 complicated malaria (CM) children that presented within 24 hours and follow up scans on days 3 and 5 of their illness. These were compared with that of 131 healthy children (control). Results: The main renal artery diameter of the CM group was 0.41±0.07 mm, UM=0.48±0.09 mm and 0.53±0.11 mm (p=<0.001) in the control group. The main renal vein diameter were 0.59±0.11 mm and 0.48±0.10 mm and 0.63±0.15 mm (P=<0.000) among the CM, UM and the control group respectively. The PSV and EDV were slightly lower in the malaria groups than in the control group. PSV=49.01±18.21 cm/s in the UM and CM=50.71±19.68 cm/s. The control group PSV was 56.95±15.47 cm/s. AT was however significantly lower in the two malaria subgroups than in the control. (UM=47.70±18.28 cm/s, CM=52.33±21.06 cm/s and control=75.20±27.66 cm/s respectively (p=<0.000). The Intrarenal S/D in UM was 2.73±0.49 and the CM group S/D was 3.05±0.65 and control=2.62±0.47 (P=0.04). Slightly lower but statistically insignificant mean values were seen in the RI and PI. Conclusion: The main renal arterial and vein diameters and the intra renal vessel AT are significantly reduced during acute falciparum malaria illness. The intra-renal PSV and EDV are likely to be lower in acute falciparum malaria than in the normal healthy children. The intra-renal S/D are significantly higher in the UM and CM. Also, the PI and RI are likely to be higher in the malaria groups. The AT and S/D both showed inverse and direct relationship respectively as malaria severity worsens. We propose that renal Doppler ultrasound can be used to monitor renal status and should be included in the management of children with acute malaria infection more so in malaria endemic area.
ABSTRACT
Aims: To describe a rare case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma at an unusual age of sixteen (16) years. Also to sensitize the medical community to the need for thorough evaluation of an opaque hemithorax and to describe the imaging features of this rare neoplastic disease. Presentation of Case: This was a 16 year old girl who presented with progressive swelling and recurrent right chest pain of 10 months duration and difficult breathing of 6 weeks duration. There was associated weight loss, dry cough and low grade intermittent fever. She had solitary cervical lymphadenopathy, grade II finger clubbing and low hematocrit. Discussion: Malignant fibrous histiocytomas (MFHs) are tumors of adulthood with a mean age of 59 years. It has predilection for the extremities, the abdominal cavity and the retroperitoneum. Primary pleural occurrence is relatively rare. This is a rare case of an extensive malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the right pleura with chest wall involvement presenting at an unusual young age of 16 years, at variance with the ages documented in the literatures. Imaging findings of the histologically proven tumor were also described on high resolution chest Computed Tomography. Conclusion: Malignant fibrous histiocytomas may occur much earlier than the age documented in most literatures. This case showed that not all cases of extensive opaque hemithorax are due to massive pleural effusion and further and better diagnostic imaging will be necessary for prompt and proper management.
ABSTRACT
Background: Radiation protection in paediatric radiology requires special attention than in adult because children are more sensitive to radiation and at higher risk. This risk is explained by the longer life expectancy in children which allows for harmful effects of radiation to manifest and their developing organs and tissues being more sensitive to radiation. Hence, the need for determination of appropriate radiation dose for paediatric patients. Aims: To estimate entrance skin dose (ESD) received by paediatric patients during diagnostic x-ray examinations. Materials and Methods: A total of 253 paediatric patients undergoing various x-ray examinations between June 2011 and December, 2012 in a teaching hospital in the South West Nigeria were considered in this study. This hospital has no dedicated x-ray unit for paediatric radiology. The ESD received during x-ray examination was calculated using mathematical formula that incorporated the use of x-ray beam output and exposure parameters selected for the examination. Correlation coefficient (r) analysis was used to test the relationship between ESD, patient size (age and weight) and exposure parameters (kVp, mAs). Results: The ESD and ED received by paediatric patients from all the x-ray examinations considered in this study ranged from 10.29 ± 3.80 - 880.04 ± 89.44 μGy and 1.44 ± 0.53 - 66.74 ± 30.84 μSv respectively. The correlation coefficient analysis at 0.01 level of significant showed that there is a correlation between patient dose and exposure factors but there is no correlation between ESD, age and weight of patients. Conclusion: The ESD received by paediatric patients is higher than the internationally recommended reference dose. This is attributed to lack of dedicated x-ray unit and personnel for paediatric radiology.