Reconsideration of Diagnostic Lumbar Puncture in Childhood Enteroviral Meningitis / 대한소아신경학회지

PURPOSE: Despite the fact that enteroviral meningitis is the most common cause of meningitis in children with signs of meningeal irritation and has benign course, most clinicians routinely perform an invasive lumbar puncture (LP) that result in inadequate antibiotic therapy and unnecessary long-term hospitalization. This study was aimed to compare the clinical characteristics of childhood enteroviral meningitis according to LP. METHODS: Children over 2 years of age who can clearly express signs of meningeal irritation in the pediatric department of Eulji university hospital from July 2013 and August 2016 were enrolled. The patients were diagnosed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in stool and/or cerebrospinal fluid. We retrospectively reviewed their clinical records. RESULTS: A total of 257 patients were diagnosed with enterovirus meningitis and median age was 6.3 (2.1–7.9) years. One hundred fifteen patients (44.7%) with confirmed enterovirus in the stools underwent supportive care without LP. Mostly, there was no statistically significant difference in age, sex, clinical symptoms, except gastrointestinal involvement (abdominal pain, diarrhea), and serologic findings when compared with patients who underwent LP. But patients who underwent LP had longer hospital stay (4 vs 3 days, P < 0.001). Four of them (2.8%) were re-admitted with back pain and persistent headache, probably related to LP procedure. All patients were discharged without neurologic complications. CONCLUSION: Rapid detection of enteroviruses in stool specimens that can be easily obtained in children with signs of meningeal irritation may reduce invasive LP.

The Clinical Features and Autopsy Findings of Multiple metastatic Nodular Melanoma / 대한피부과학회지

We have experienced a 50-year-old male patient, who died of multiple metastatic nodular melanoma which had the primary lesions on the right hallux and forefoot with eventual involvement of skin and internal organs. An autopsy was performed for the evidence of metastatic features of the internal organs and their spreading routes, with concurrent histopathologic findings. The autopsy findings revealed diffuse metastases to the ipsilateral femoral and inguinal lymph nodes via ascending vascular channels and to the internal organs: 1. The heart had multiple metastatic lesions on the pericardium and right ventricular wall. And the mediastinal, periaortic and periesophageal lymph nodes were also involved. 2. The both lungs were moderately indurated and focally discolored, and showed metastatic lesions in the right lower lobe and hilar areas, Melanoma cells were diffusely invaded to the interstitia and alveoli. 3. The right 5th and 6th ribs showed the invsion of melanoma cells on their bone marrows, periostia, and Haversians canals. 4. The liver was enlarged and showed multiple various sized nodules on the surface with adesion to the parts of peritoneum, omentum and diaphragm. Melanoma cells were seen mostly on and around the sinusoidal spaces and parenchyma. 5. The stomach wall had an ulcerated metastatic lesion and the melanoma cells invaded deeply into the muscle layer. 6. The pancreas was normal in its size and shape but had multiple metastatic lesions on the head and body with melanoma celi infiltration. 7. The both kidneys were grar ular surfaced and showed two metastatic lesions on the right renal cortex and two on the left. Renal tubules and parenchyma were widely invaded by melanoma cells but the glomerular tufts were intact. 8. The adreral and thyroid glands showed four and two metastatic lesions respectively and diffuse invasion of melanoma cells into the parenchyma. 9. The brain was normal in gross appearance, but the cortex was edematous and showed settered melanoma cell infiltration.