Inflammatory bowel disease with growth hormone deficiency in adolescents: an analysis of 4 cases and literature review / 中国当代儿科杂志

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic recurrent non-specific inflammatory disease in the intestinal tract. About 10%-56% of children with Crohn's disease and about 10% of children with ulcerative colitis have growth retardation. This study reports four adolescents with IBD and growth hormone deficiency who were diagnosed with Crohn's disease. There were three boys and one girl, with an age of 11.0-13.9 years and a disease duration of 11-85 months at diagnosis. The four patients had the involvement of the small intestine only, the colon only, both the small intestine and the upper gastrointestinal tract, and both the small intestine and the colon respectively. The pediatric Crohn's disease activity index ranged from 27.5 to 45 points. All four patients had a height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) of <-2, and the growth hormone provocative test suggested growth hormone deficiency. Of all four patients, two received recombinant human growth hormone combined with infliximab, one received infliximab only, and one received recombinant human growth hormone combined with mercaptopurine. All four patients had an improvement in HAZ after treatment.

Clinical features and prognosis of gastrointestinal injury due to foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract in children: a retrospective analysis of 217 cases / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinical features and prognosis of gastrointestinal injury caused by foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract in children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 217 children who were diagnosed with foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract complicated by gastrointestinal injury by gastroscopy from January 2011 to December 2016, including clinical features, gastroscopic findings, complications, and prognosis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 217 children, 114 (52.5%) were aged 1-3 years. The most common foreign body was coin (99/217, 45.6%), followed by hard/sharp-edged food (45/217, 20.7%) and metal (35/217, 16.1%). The most common gastrointestinal mucosal injury was ulceration (43.8%), followed by erosion (33.2%). Compared with other foreign bodies, button cells were significantly more likely to cause esophageal perforation (P<0.01). The esophagus was the most commonly injured organ (207/217, 95.4%). Of all the 217 children, 24 (11.1%) experienced infection. The children with perforation caused by foreign bodies had a significantly higher incidence rate of infection than those with ulceration caused by foreign bodies (P=0.003). Of all the 217 children, 204 (94.0%) underwent successful endoscopic removal of foreign bodies. Among these children, 98 were hospitalized due to severe mucosal injury and were given anti-infective therapy, antacids, and supportive care including enteral nutrition through a nasogastric tube and/or parenteral nutrition. Of all the children, 10 left the hospital and were lost to follow-up, and all the other children were improved and discharged.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Most cases of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract occur at 1-3 years of age. Coin, hard/sharp-edged food, and metal are the most common foreign bodies. Button cells are more likely to cause esophageal perforation. The incidence rate of secondary infection increases with the increasing severity of gastrointestinal mucosal injury. Children undergoing endoscopic removal of foreign bodies and enteral nutrition through a nasogastric tube tend to have a good prognosis.</p>

Timing of nasojejunal feeding tube placement and enteral nutrition in children with acute pancreatitis / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the impact of timing of nasojejunal feeding tube placement and enteral nutrition on clinical outcomes in children with acute pancreatitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 31 children with acute pancreatitis, who received nasojejunal feeding between January 2008 and July 2013, to investigate the relationship of abdominal symptoms/signs and serum amylase level with the tolerability of catheterization and success rate of enteral nutrition. The treatment outcome and incidence of adverse reactions and complications were compared between the early enteral nutrition group ( ≤7 days from the onset of the disease) and late enteral nutrition group (>7 days from the onset of the disease).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Abdominal symptoms/signs and serum amylase level were independent of the tolerable rate of catheterization and success rate of enteral nutrition. Compared with the late enteral nutrition group, the early enteral nutrition group had a shortened time to normal serum amylase level, significantly reduced incidence of systemic complications, length of hospital stay, and hospitalization expenses, and less weight gain. The tolerable rate of catheterization and success rate of enteral nutrition showed no significant difference between the two groups. Similarly, no significant differences were found in the increase in albumin level after enteral nutrition, duration of enteral nutrition, incidence of adverse reactions, and incidence of local complications.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Abdominal symptoms/signs and serum amylase level cannot be used as a measure of whether nasojejunal feeding tube placement and enteral nutrition can be performed. Early enteral nutrition can better improve clinical outcomes in children with acute pancreatitis, and it is feasible.</p>

Value of nasojejunal nutrition in the treatment of children with acute pancreatitis / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of placement of nasojejunal feeding tube and nasojejunal nutrition feeding in children with acute pancreatitis.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Twenty-two patients (of whom 13 had severe acute pancreatitis and 9 acute mild pancreatitis) who needed nutritional intervention were selected. They were from Department of Gastroenterology and Surgery during the years 2009 - 2012, and they were at high nutritional risk after STONGkid nutrition risk screening. The average age of them was 5 - 15 years (9.1 years ± 2.8 years). Assisted by endoscopy, the nasojejunal feeding tube was placed in 22 of 24 patients (in 2 cases of recurrent pancreatitis the tubes were placed again after extubation). Besides the use of regular fasting, antacids, inhibitors of trypsin secretion, and anti-infective treatment, 23 cases of all children got nasojejunal nutrition treatment as well. The outcome measures included the success rate, complications of endoscope-assisted nasojejunal tube placement. The children's tolerance and nutrition indicators (weight, blood lymphocytes count, erythrocytes count, serum albumin, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen) were observed before and after enteral nutrition therapy.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Malnutrition evaluation was done 24 times before treatment among 22 patients, incidence of malnutrition was 33% in 22 cases. Placement of nasojejunal tube placement was attempted for a total of 24 times and was successful on first placement in 22 cases, in two cases the placement was successful on the second placement, so the success rate of the first attempt for placement was 92%. No significant complications were observed in any of the cases. Twenty-three of 24 cases were given standardized enteral nutrition (one case was not given enteral nutrition therapy but underwent ERCP due to obstructive jaundice). Twenty-two of 23 cases could tolerate enteral nutrition well, only 1 case was unable to tolerate enteral nutrition due to the pancreas schizophrenia, paralytic ileus. The treatment of jejunal feeding success rate was 96%. The feeding duration was 2 - 74 d (27.0 d ± 18.3 d). The adverse reactions include plugging of the tube in two cases, constipation in two cases, five cases had abdominal pain, diarrhea in 2 cases, vomiting in 2 cases and 1 case of jejunum retention. No case had nasopharynx ulcers, gastrointestinal perforation, gastrointestinal bleeding, re-feeding syndrome and infection etc. Blood erythrocytes count, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen were not significantly changed. Twenty of 23 cases were cured, 2 cases were improved and 1 case was unchanged.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Endoscope-assisted nasojejunal tube placement for children with acute pancreatitis is safe and feasible. Nasojejunal nutrition therapy is effective for acute pancreatitis patients who are at severe nutritional risk, especially for the improvement of the nutritional status of children.</p>

Clinical manifestations and endoscopic features of abdominal type Henoch purpura in children / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical manifestations and endoscopic features of abdominal type Henoch purpura in children and improve the diagnostic level.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Retrospective review was made on the clinical, endoscopic and histopathological features of 57 cases of children with Henoch purpura abdominal type who had been hospitalized from Jan. 2002 to May 2007. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed in all cases. All the cases had various digestive system symptoms without cutaneous purpura before endoscopy. Mucosal specimens were taken from sinus ventriculi and duodenum for histopathological analysis. Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection was identified by rapid urease test and histology, and diagnosis of H.pylori infection was made when both were positive.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The common gastrointestinal symptoms of Henoch purpura were abdominal pain (46 cases), vomiting (32 cases), hematochezia (11 cases), diarrhea (4 cases) and abdominal distention (1 case). Three cases had arthralgia and joint swelling. The main laboratory findings were increased peripheral white blood cells (33 cases, 57.9%), 1/5 of cases had elevated C reactive protein (CRP), low serum albumin and seroperitoneum. Endoscopy demonstrated the damages to the mucosa, which varied from congestion, edema, petechia and ecchymosis (37 cases, 64.9%) to erosive and multiple ulcers (14 cases, 24.6%), granulation of mucosa in descendent duodenum (4 cases, 7.0%), and diffuse hemorrhage of mucosa (2 cases, 3.5%). The upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed that the commonest and most serious position involved was the descendent duodenum (55 cases, 96.5%), followed by duodenal bulb (32 cases, 56.1%) and stomach (18 cases, 36.1%), esophagus was less involved (1 case, 1.8%). Histological manifestations showed swollen vascular endothelial cells of capillary vessels and small blood vessels, fibrotic necrosis of small vessels and bleeding, diffuse perivascular lymphocytic and neutrophilic infiltration and nuclear debris in mucosa and submucosa. Three cases (5.3%) were found infected with H. pylori. In 49 cases (86.0%) cutaneous purpura appeared 1 - 7 days after endoscopy. Eight cases had no cutaneous purpura until they left hospital. Two cases were lost to follow up and 6 cases (10.5%) remained free from cutaneous purpura were followed up until now (1 - 5 years).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Descending duodenum is the commonest and most serious position of upper gastrointestinal tract involved in Henoch purpura. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with the mucosal biopsy are useful for the early diagnosis of Henoch purpura.</p>

Analysis of primary symptoms and disease spectrum in Epstein-Barr virus infected children / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To improve the clinical diagnostic standard and explore the mechanism of multiple clinical manifestation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection by studying the primary symptom and related disease spectrum in EBV infected children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The primary symptom, disease spectrum and prognosis of 190 EBV infected children whose serum EBV-VCA-IgM was positive detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were retrospectively reviewed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The primary symptoms of EBV infection were diverse, the most common primary symptom was fever (66.8%), and followed by cough (14.2%), skin eruption (7.9%), lymphadenopathy (5.3%), eyelid edema (3.2%), pharyngalgia (1.6%), cardiac arrhythmia (1.6%), convulsion (1.6%), arthralgia (1.0%), gross hematuria (0.5%), etc. Most systems and organs were involved in the disease, including liver, spleen, lymph nodes, kidney, heart, lung, bone marrow, brain etc., which made the disease spectrum diverse. The most common disease caused by EBV infection was respiratory tract infection (40.5%), followed by infectious mononucleosis (17.9%), Kawasaki disease (6.3%), idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (5.8%), viral myocarditis (2.6%), viral encephalitis (2.6%), hemophagocytic syndrome (1.6%), rheumatoid arthritis (1.0%), acute lymphadenitis (1.0%), facial neuritis (1.0%), Evans syndrome (0.5%), systemic lupus erythematosus (0.5%), subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis (0.5%), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (0.5%), acute aplastic anemia (0.5%), infantile hepatitis syndrome (0.5%), etc.; 9.5% of patients were ultimately diagnosed as EBV infection after long-term fever, and 10% of patients suffered from mixed infection. The prognosis of EBV infection was different due to involvement of different systems and organs. One patient died of hemophagocytic syndrome.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The systems and organs impaired by EBV infection in children were diverse, and almost all the systems and organs were involved. Pediatricians should comprehensively analyze the clinical data and order corresponding laboratory examinations early to make the correct diagnosis and reduce the misdiagnosis rate and to treat appropriately.</p>