Cholangitis and choledocholithiasis after repair of duodenal atresia: a case report

Cholelithiasis is a rare but known complication of surgery for duodenal atresia. Occurrence of choledocholithiasis as sequelae of duodenoduodenostomy is still rarer. Biliary stasis resulting from compression of common bile duct due to periductal fibrosis may predispose to gallstone formation. We are reporting a case of choledocholithiasis in a 6 year old child as a late post-operative complication of duodenoduodenostomy [for duodenal atresia in the neonatal period]. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case of its kind reported in English literature. Cholecystectomy followed by choledocholithotomy was done and the patient had an uneventful recovery. Upper abdominal pain in any patient with a history of surgery for duodenal atresia in the past warrants a thorough evaluation for any biliary tract anomaly, cholecystitis, cholangitis, cholelithiasis or choledocholithiasis

Frequency of HIV infection amongst children with disseminated tuberculosis and tuberculous meningitis in Aligarh [North India] - a low HIV prevalence area

To determine frequency of HIV in children with disseminated tuberculosis and tuberculous meningitis in a low HIV prevalence area, and to study clinical profile of those found HIV positive. Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India from February 2005 to January 2008. The study was conducted on 215 children under 14 years of age with either disseminated tuberculosis or tuberculous meningitis. HIV infection was diagnosed in accordance with WHO strategy II. In children younger than 18 months, the strategy [to cut down costs] was to screen first by HIV antibody testing and subject only positive cases to virological tests. Parents of HIV positive children were also tested for HIV and counselled. The clinical profile of HIV positive patients was noted. The frequency of HIV was 5.12%, while that in cases of disseminated tuberculosis was much higher [22%]. No case with isolated tuberculous meningitis was HIV positive. The majority [45.45%] of patients with HIV were between 1-5 years of age. The mode of infection in 7[63.63%] cases was parent to child transmission. Loss of weight, prolonged fever, pallor, hepato-splenomegaly and oral candidiasis were the commonest clinical manifestations among HIV positive patients. Clinically directed selective HIV screening in cases of disseminated tuberculosis can pickup undiagnosed cases of the same in areas with low prevalence of HIV infection

Intracranial haemorrhage in typhoid fever

Intracranial haemorrhage in typhoid fever is very rare. We report another case of non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage in a 6-year-old boy suffering from typhoid fever, unconsciousness, seizure and non-coherent speech. Investigations revealed severe thrombocytopenia and prolonged prothrombin time. CT scan of brain showed intraparenchymal haemorrhage in frontal regions bilaterally with perilesional oedema, subarachnoid bleed and extension into the lateral ventricles. No aneurysm or arterio-venous malformation was seen on MR angiography. The patient recovered without any neurological deficit