Nephrogenic remnants: occasional ultrasound diagnosis and follow-up.

Nephrogenic remnants (NRs) are nodular collections of undifferentiated renal blastema cells in the postnatal kidney that are recognized as putative precursor lesions of Wilms tumor (WT). NRs may remain stationary, undergo regression, or proliferate. In the last case, there is a high risk for the development of a WT. During infancy, they are most frequently of microscopic size, to be found only at autopsy in approximately 1% of infant kidneys. Approximately 1 out of 100 microscopic lesions persist and grow developing lesions large enough to be seen by ultrasound in the first months of life. We report on a case of NRs in a six year old child, as incidental finding during abdominal ultrasound performed for other purposes. In consideration of the potential evolution in WT, after a period of close surveillance of 14 months, the lesion was resected. Histological examination revealed the presence of NRs, no neoplastic lesions were found. Currently the patient is 16 years old, in good health, and there have been no signs of recurrence.

[Ovarian cyst in a newborn: a case report]. / Cisti ovarica in eta' neonatale: a proposito di un caso clinico.

The presence of ovarian cysts in the newborn is often a sign of an abnormal exacerbation of the physiologic process. In our case a large cyst caused symptoms related to gastroesophageal reflux: vomiting, poor weight gain, and respiratory disorders. Ultrasound examination enabled a correct diagnosis.

Usefulness of lung ultrasound in a newborn with pulmonary atelectasis.

The use of ultrasound for the evaluation of the lung is relatively recent. We describe the case of a newborn with pulmonary atelectasis and shift of the mediastinum underlining both advantages and limits of lung ultrasound (LUS). The baby, 1 month of age, was admitted to our hospital for tachypnoea, vomiting and poor weight gain. Chest X-ray (CXR) showed displacement of the heart to the right, suggesting the presence of atelectasis of the right lung. LUS confirmed the displacement of the mediastinum to the right and atelectasis of the right lung, clearly visible as a consolidation with the presence of air bronchograms. The computed tomography image showed that the lung parenchyma displayed in the right hemithorax could be attributed to the hyperexpanded left lung. However, once this information was acquired, and compared to the ultrasound picture, we were able to monitor the patient by LUS until normalization, thus avoiding further exposure to ionizing radiation. Our case, in accordance with the recent Literature, indicates that LUS can be adopted as a simple and non-invasive method for evaluating children with lung disease. It is easy to perform at bedside, allows a close follow-up and avoids the use of ionizing radiation.