Navigating the Diagnosis and Treatment of Astroblastoma: A Pediatric Case Report.

Astroblastoma, a rare glial tumor of the central nervous system, presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to its low incidence and variable clinical presentations. In this case study, we present the case of an 11-year-old boy with high-grade astroblastoma, highlighting the complexities in diagnosis and treatment. The clinical presentation initially involved right-sided motor weakness, which, after undergoing a brain MRI, revealed a large solid cystic mass in the left parietal lobe. Histopathological examination after undergoing surgery confirmed an astroblastoma with high-grade features, characterized by increased cellularity and high mitotic activity. Immunostaining patterns supported the glial origin of the tumor. Gross total resection remains the primary approach for its treatment, but adjuvant therapies for high-grade astroblastomas are still evolving, offering potential life-changing possibilities for the future. Due to its rarity, collecting sufficient data to develop an effective treatment protocol for this uncommon tumor is very challenging. This case underscores the importance of combined efforts and ongoing research to effectively navigate the diagnosis and treatment of astroblastoma.

Ascaris induced acute pancreatitis in paediatric population - a case series.

The most common helminthic parasitic infection inhabiting human intestine is Ascaris lumbricoides (AL). Being the largest of the helminthic family, it infects almost one billion people worldwide, but any information about local population is unavailable especially in children. When patients present with abdominal pain, having ascaris induced pancreatitis never meets the differential diagnosis list even though AL itself is highly prevalent in our part of the world. Infected patients can present with a variety of symptoms depending on the location of parasite. If the biliary tree is inhabited, patients usually present with symptoms of choledocholithiasis or pancreatitis. We report the case series of 3 patients from paediatric age group, having acute pancreatitis secondary to AL. Patients had upper abdominal pain of varying duration. Ultrasound abdomen showed worm inside the Common Bile Duct (CBD) in all 3 patients. Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) showed worms coming out of the ampullary orifice. Two patients received albendazole orally post ERCP and were discharged after complete resolution of symptoms with advice of repeat ERCP after 6 weeks, however one patient was advised Magnetic resonance cholangio-pancreatography (MRCP).

Bilateral basal ganglia bleed in traumatic brain injury: A case report.

Intracerebral haemorrhage can be classified into traumatic and non-traumatic. Traumatic Basal Ganglia Haemorrhage (TBGH) has been reported in 2.4-3% cases of all closed head injuries whereas the incidence is higher in postmortem studies (9.8%), nevertheless, a bilateral TBGH is an extremely rare entity. According to our search through literature, only 12 case reports of bilateral TBGH have been published previously. A simple bilateral TBGH is rarely seen without any other lesions as it is usually associated with skull fractures, haemorrhages or brainstem injuries, making its incidence more during autopsies. We present a 30-year old male patient who had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) secondary to Road Traffic Accident (RTA) with GCS of 12/15, having no other co-morbids. CT-scan revealed bilateral basal ganglia bleed and the patient improved on conservative management only.

Practical Use of Infliximab Concentration Monitoring in Pediatric Crohn Disease.

OBJECTIVES: Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) that guides infliximab (IFX) intensification strategies has been shown to improve IFX efficacy. We conducted a review to evaluate the utility of TDM in the assessment and subsequent management of IFX loss of response in our pediatric population with Crohn disease (CD). METHODS: Single-center retrospective study of patients with CD receiving IFX that had TDM from December 2009 to September 2013. We defined subtherapeutic trough as a drug level below the detection limit of the Prometheus enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay and Anser reference values (1.4 and 1 µg/mL, respectively) or a mid-interval level <12 µg/mL. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-one IFX concentration tests were performed on 72 patients with CD with loss of response to therapy as the primary indication (72%). 34% of all TDM were subtherapeutic. After initial TDM, 25 of the 72 patients received regimen intensification with 72% in clinical remission at 6 months. Including all of the TDM that resulted in IFX dose intensification, we found a significant improvement in 6-month remission rates whether intensification followed mid-interval (88% remission) or trough (56% remission) testing (P = 0.026). Antibody to infliximab was found in 14 patients with 5 occurring in the first year of therapy. Furthermore, 71% of patients with antibody to infliximab that were switched to an alternative anti-tumor necrosis factor achieved clinical remission at six months. In multivariable regression analysis, we found IFX dose (mg/kg), IFX dosing frequency (weeks), and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate at the previous infusion were significantly associated with the IFX concentration. CONCLUSIONS: TDM in our pediatric population with CD led to informed clinical decisions and improved rates of clinical remission.

Endotracheal intubation - A life saving procedure, still potential hazardous to upper airway: A case report.

Endotracheal intubation plays a key role in the management of upper airway obstruction in emergency situations. It is non-invasive and easily learned technique by medical professionals as compared to other more skilled, surgical procedures, e.g., tracheostomy and cricothyrotomies etc. But prolonged intubation may result in numerous complications, most notorious being tracheoesophageal fistula and narrowing of subglottic area. We report a profile of a patient who had been diagnosed as case of Guillian-Barre Syndrome, had difficulty in breathing due to paralysis of respiratory muscles. The patient was admitted in Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) for 40 days and was kept on artificial breathing through endotracheal intubation, which remained in place for 19 days. Later tracheostomy was performed. Patient ultimately developed severe subglottic stenosis and became dependent on tracheostomy tube.