ABSTRACT
Introduction To test the accuracy of the visual and automated bone age assessment base on the Greulich and Pyle (GP) method in healthy Caucasian European children with a Moroccan ethnic origin. Material and methods Moroccan Caucasian (MC) children were retrospectively and consecutively enrolled along with age- and sex-matched control group (CG) of European Caucasian (EC) children enrolled from the general population. The two groups included 423 children aged from 2 to 15 years with a normal left-hand radiograph performed to rule out a trauma between March 2008 and December 2017. One radiologist, blinded to the BoneXpert® (Visiana, Holte, Denmark) estimates, visually reviewed the radiographs using the GP atlas. The BoneXpert® automatically analysed all 423 radiographs. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), linear regression and Bland-Altman plots were performed to describe the agreement between each method and the chronological age (CA) and the agreement between the two methods. Results Visual bone age assessment was related to the CA in both girls (MC ICC 0.97; EC ICC 0.97) and boys (MC ICC 0.95; EC ICC 0.96). Automated bone age assessment was related to the CA in both girls (MC ICC 0.97; EC ICC 0.96) and boys (MC ICC 0.88; EC ICC 0.96). Bland-Altman plots showed an excellent agreement between the two methods in both sexes and ethnicities before puberty especially in Moroccan boys. Conclusion Visual and automatic bone age assessment based on the GP method, previously validated in the general population of Caucasian European children, can be confidently used in healthy Caucasian European children with a Moroccan ethnic origin.
ABSTRACT
Proliferative fasciitis (PF) of the hand is a rare condition, which typically occurs in adulthood. To date, only two dozen cases of PF have been reported in children. This benign condition can mimic malignant soft tissue tumors such as soft tissue sarcoma. We present a case of histopathologically confirmed PF of the fifth right finger in a nine-year-old girl, along with the imaging workup. We also provide a review of the previous literature on PF in children.
ABSTRACT
Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is referred to as the combination of obesity with low skeletal muscle mass and function. However, its definition and diagnosis is debated. SO represents a sizable risk factor for the development of disability, possibly with a worse prognosis in women. The present narrative review summarizes the current evidence on pharmacological, nutrition and exercise strategies on the prevention and/or treatment of SO in middle-aged and older-aged women. A literature search was carried out in Medline and Google Scholar between 29th January and 14th March 2019. Only controlled intervention studies on mid-age and older women whose focus was on the prevention and/or treatment of sarcopenia associated with obesity were included. Resistance training (RT) appears effective in the prevention of all components of SO in women, resulting in significant improvements in muscular mass, strength, and functional capacity plus loss of fat mass, especially when coupled with hypocaloric diets containing at least 0.8 g/kg body weight protein. Correction of vitamin D deficit has a favorable effect on muscle mass. Treatment of SO already established is yet unsatisfactory, although intense and prolonged RT, diets with higher (1.2 g/kg body weight) protein content, and soy isoflavones all look promising. However, further confirmatory research and trials combining different approaches are required.
