Meconium pseudocyst revisited

Meconium peritonitis is defined as a sterile chemical or foreign-body peritonitis that is caused by escape of meconium from the intestinal tract into the peritoneal cavity during the fetal or perinatal period. Although meconium peritonitis is indicative of intrauterine perforation of the intestine, it may occur as early as the 4th to 6th month of INTRA NATAL life and as late as several hours after birth. It can be classified into three pathological variations: fibro-adhesive; cystic and generalized. The cystic type has a meconium filled pseudocyst that may rupture in the peritoneal cavity. Intra-abdominal calcification is pathognomonic for the diagnosis. Here, author reported a classical case of meconium peritonitis with pseudocyst formation, which was treated successfully conservatively.

Congenital lobar emphysema: a rare cause of respiratory distress in a neonate

Congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) is a congenital condition characterized by distension and air trapping of the affected lobe of the lung. It is one of the causes of infantile respiratory distress, which may require surgical resection of affected lobe. Case characteristics: 3-day-old neonate with ventilation refractory respiratory distress. Imaging was suggestive of decreased lung tissue on the right side with ipsilateral mediastinal shift. Intervention/ outcome: Early surgical lobectomy was done to improve lung functions and the child improved dur to early intervention. Message: An early diagnosis with high index of suspicion helps patients with this rare congenital anomaly. Early intervention is the key to good long-term outcome. More awareness about the entity and treatment options available would greatly help improving the outcome and disease burden.

Presentation and management of Helicobacter pylori infection in childhood.

Helicobacter pylori is responsible for one of the most frequently encountered infectious diseases worldwide. Helicobacter pylori infection can lead to the development of gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. The presence of Helicobacter pylori in the human stomach also represents an increased risk of gastric cancer and gastric lymphoma. Epidemiological data obtained in adults suggest that the actual colonization with Helicobacter pylori is in fact determined by childhood factors. Therefore, the pediatric age group represents the ideal target population for studies concerning the pathogenesis and epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection. The present work reflects our experience with regard to the diagnosis, epidemiology and pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori infection in childhood.

Serum and rectal mucosal zinc levels in acute and chronic diarrhea.

Serum and rectal mucosal zinc content was estimated in children (6-18 months old) with acute diarrhea (Group I: n = 50), chronic diarrhea (Group II: n = 25), extraintestinal infections (Group III: n = 15) and apparently healthy controls (Group IV: n = 20). The sex and nutritional status of various groups was comparable. The mean serum and tissue zinc levels in acute (p less than 0.001) and chronic (p less than 0.05 for serum; p less than 0.001 for tissue) diarrhea groups were significantly lower than healthy and infected controls. Group II had significantly lower (p less than 0.001) serum and rectal zinc content in comparison to Group I. There was a significant negative correlation between serum zinc and diarrheal duration (r = 0.5676; p less than 0.001). Repeat estimation at discharge in 38 patients (25 in Group I, 13 in Group II) revealed a significant reduction in both tissue and serum zinc and only tissue zinc in acute and chronic diarrhea, respectively. A total of 23 patients (16 in Group I, and 7 in Group II) were evaluated 2 weeks after discharge. After discharge, at recovery there was no alteration in serum zinc, but tissue zinc was marginally higher (p greater than 0.05). It is concluded that zinc depletion occurs in diarrhea, more so in the chronic state; with the continuation of diarrhea, depletion progresses; and there is a tendency for repletion during convalescence.