Major hemoptysis in adolescents.

The coughing up of blood or blood-tinged sputum in children is unusual but potentially lethal. The etiologies of hemoptyses in children differ from adults and vary among geographic locations. This paper reviews the clinical presentation and radiographic features of massive hemoptysis in adolescents seen in a single tertiary children's hospital in northern Taiwan during a 10-year period. Active pulmonary tuberculosis with cavity formations and dissemination, congenital heart diseases with hypertrophied bronchial artery and local bleeding were the 2 most common causes of major hemoptysis in this single institute experience. Most cases of major hemoptysis due to active pulmonary tuberculosis can be managed conservatively. For patients with respiratory compromise or hemodynamic instability, selective bronchial artery embolization effectively stopped hemoptysis without complications.

Fístula broncopleural cutânea causada por Eikenella corrodens / Bronchopleural cutaneous fistula due to Eikenella corrodens

OBJETIVO: Fazer uma revisão sobre fistula cutânea broncopleural causada por Eikenella corrodens e relatar e discutir o caso de uma paciente. DESCRIÇAO: Paciente do sexo feminino, 16 anos de idade, foi encaminhada ao nosso hospital em estado febril com histórico de escarro com estrias de sangue há 2 meses; apresentava seqüelas neurológicas de encefalite herpética e estava confinada ao leito desde os cinco anos de idade. A mãe relatou ter detectado, dias antes, uma massa mole paraespinhal longitudinal. A paciente recebia alimentação via oral apesar da ocorrência de freqüentes engasgamentos nos últimos anos. A apalpação, a massa podia ser pressionada até encontrar menor resistência do espaço subcutâneo, estendendo-se longitudinalmente até a região torácica inferior. A tomografia torácica revelou pneumonia necrotizante do lobo direito inferior e uma fistula bronco pleural formando áreas de cavitação subcutânea. A paciente foi submetida a tratamento prolongado com antibióticos com decrescentes coletas de ar por 8 semanas. COMENTARIOS: A Eikenella corrodens tem sido indicada como potencial patógeno causador de infecções pleuropulmonares. Não há relatos de fístula pleurocutânea e formação de abscessos como complicadores de empiema e pneumonia necrotizante causados por infecção de E. corrodens. A presença de lesão torácica proeminente que aumenta e diminui com a respiração pode ser uma indicação de fistula pleurocutânea. O tratamento do empiema de Eikenella com antibióticos sem decorticação cirúrgica exige um tratamento prolongado com antibioticoterapia.

Asthmatic versus non-asthmatic spontaneous pneumomediastinum in children.

The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical spectrum and seek potential curable causes of spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) in children in order to minimize respiratory morbidity. Medical records from 1986 to 2003 were retrospectively reviewed at a tertiary pediatric facility in northern Taiwan. Sixteen cases of SPM were identified. There were eleven boys and five girls (M:F = 2.2:1) and ages ranged from 2 to 17 years (average, 10 years). Cough (81%), dyspnea (75%) and chest pain (56%) were the predominant symptoms and expiratory wheezing (63%) and neck crepitus (50%) were the most common physical findings. The specific sign of Hamman's crunch was noted in only one child initially. A coughing-related Valsalva maneuver (13 patients/81%) was the most common cause of pneumomediastinum in these children. The most common underlying medical causes were asthma (8 patients/50%) and idiopathic origin (5 patients/31%). Acute gastroenteritis, foreign body aspiration and mycoplasmal pneumonia were each found in one patient respectively. All patients had subcutaneous emphysema on initial chest radiographs. Two patients were complicated by pneumothorax and required intensive respiratory therapy. The average hospital stay was 4 days (range 1-9 days). Rapid resolution of symptoms without long-term sequelae was common except for one patient who had hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy with epilepsy after foreign body removal. We conclude that in young teenagers, who suffer from cough, dyspnea, chest pain and associated discomfort of throat or neck, the diagnosis of SPM should be considered and chest radiography including posterior-anterior and lateral projections should be performed to verify the diagnosis. Because of the high prevalence of asthma related SPM, children of idiopathic SPM should undergo diagnostic pulmonary function tests after the acute episode, to establish whether the child has asthma. Targeted investigations of the underlying causes of SPM might decrease respiratory morbidity and avoid further complications.