Discrete subaortic stenosis: long-term prognosis on the progression of the obstruction and of the aortic insufficiency.

BACKGROUND: We sought to determine the long-term rate of progression of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction and aortic insufficiency (AI) in adult patients operated on for discrete subaortic stenosis (DSS). METHODS: Between 1975 and 1995, 52 patients underwent surgery for DSS; their mean age was 25.4 +/- 14.8 years. Mean preoperative LVOT gradient was 72.8 +/- 25.7 mm Hg. Excision of the subaortic membrane was carried out in all patients, myectomy of the interventricular septum was additionally carried out in 8 patients (15.4 %), and aortic valve replacement (AVR) was performed in 15 patients (28.8 %). RESULTS: There were 2 operative deaths (3.8 %). Early postoperative LVOT gradient was 9.7 +/- 6.5 mm Hg. Follow-up ranged from 8.1 to 26.6 years. There were 8 late deaths (16.3 %), and mean LVOT gradient was 13.3 +/- 10.7 mm Hg. Five patients required reoperation for recurrent obstruction; 4 patients had a gradient of more than 30 mm Hg. The AI, in patients who did not undergo aortic valve replacement, did not substantially change during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: DSS is a variable, unpredictable and progressive disease; recurrent obstruction may reappear despite the adequacy of surgical excision, and is not related to preoperative gradient. Mild AI remains substantially unchanged and AVR is indicated in severe AI.

Antral nodularity identifies children infected with Helicobacter pylori with higher grades of gastric inflammation.

BACKGROUND: The endoscopic pattern of antral nodularity is a peculiar finding in children with Helicobacter pylori infection. The aim of this study was to determine whether this finding is related to more severe gastritis. METHODS: One hundred seventy-four consecutive children (median age 8.7 years) referred for gastroscopy were studied. Biopsy specimens from the antrum and body of the stomach were taken to assess H pylori status, gastritis score, and lymphoid follicles. Clinical diagnosis, major symptoms and endoscopic findings were recorded. RESULTS: Eighty-four (48%) children (median age 10.5 years) had evidence of H pylori infection. The endoscopic pattern of antral nodularity was found only in children infected with H pylori (34/84, 40.5% vs. 0/90, 0%, p < 0.0001% 100% specificity, 40.5% sensitivity). Among all children infected with H pylori, the gastritis score was higher (p < 0.0001) in those with antral nodularity (n = 34) than in those without (n = 50). Completely normal gastric mucosal histology was never found in children infected with H pylori with antral nodularity. The presence and number of lymphoid follicles was strongly related to the finding of antral nodularity (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The endoscopic pattern of antral nodularity identifies children with H pylori infection, severe gastritis, and increased lymphoid follicles.

Evidence favouring the gastro-oral route in the transmission of Helicobacter pylori infection in children.

OBJECTIVE: Several studies support the view that Helicobacter pylori is acquired in early life and within families. However, the exact route of transmission remains unknown. Given that H. pylori colonizes only the human gastric mucosa, the hypothesis that history of vomiting in siblings may be a relevant risk factor was tested in a paediatric setting. METHODS: One hundred urban children (age range 0.8-16.6 years, median 9), 44% with evidence of active H. pylori infection, were recruited. A structured questionnaire dealing with socio-economic issues was completed. Vomiting siblings and siblings of vomiting index children were screened for H. pylori by means of (13)C-urea breath test. Serum samples from index children were assayed for immunoglobulin G to hepatitis A (HAV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in order to check for faecal-oral and oral-oral exposure, respectively. RESULTS: Vomiting siblings of H. pylori-infected index children and siblings of H. pylori-infected vomiting index children had a high rate of active H. pylori infection (60 and 67%, respectively). History of vomiting in siblings was positively associated with active H. pylori infection in the index children (multivariate odds ratio 2.4, 95% confidence interval 1.3-4.3). Seropositivity for HAV and EBV was found in 1 and 68 index children, respectively. The agreement between active H. pylori infection and EBV seropositivity was not significant (kappa = 0.26). CONCLUSIONS: History of vomiting in siblings is an independent risk factor for H. pylori. Nowadays, transmission of H. pylori in urban children may involve the gastro-oral route more than the faecal-oral or oral-oral pathways.

Phenytoin administration in the newborn and infant.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of phenytoin (PHT) in the treatment of situation-related seizures and epilepsies in the newborn and infant; the clinical histories of 82 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Sixty patients received for status epilepticus (SE), intravenous PHT followed by long-term oral administration for 27 of them. The other 22 patients had oral treatment only. Intravenous administration made 55% of these patients seizure-free, whereas oral administration produced lasting seizure control in only 9.1%. During chronic oral treatment, it was most difficult to obtain adequate plasma concentrations in 69.1% of the patients, and 43.6% had side effects, most of which were related to very high plasma concentrations. In conclusion, in the first 2 years of life, intravenous administration of PHT is useful for SE, but oral treatment is poorly effective with difficulty to achieve appropriate and stable therapeutic plasma concentrations, and with frequent side effects.

Testing for serum IgG antibodies to Helicobacter pylori cytotoxin-associated protein detects children with higher grades of gastric inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Little information is available about the relationships between Helicobacter pylori cytotoxin-associated protein (CagA) and clinicopathologic features in children. The purpose of this study was to test whether determining serum IgG antibodies to CagA is a useful tool for detecting more severe disease. METHODS: One hundred twenty-seven consecutive children (age range, 0.75-17.8 years; median, 9.4 years) referred for gastroscopy were included in the study. Antral and corpus biopsies were taken for gastric histology and H. pylori detection. Major symptoms and endoscopic findings were recorded. A serum sample was drawn from each child and assayed for IgG antibodies CagA by a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Sixty-three (50%) children had no evidence of H. pylori infection, 28 (22%) were H. pylori positive/CagA positive, and 36 (28%) were H. pylori positive/CagA negative. There were no differences in clinical diagnosis and occurrence of any predominant symptom according to H. pylori and CagA status. Findings of antral nodularity were more frequent (p = 0.003) in H. pylori-positive/CagA-positive children than in H. pylori-positive/CagA-negative children. The gastritis score was significantly higher in H. pylori-positive/CagA-positive children than in H. pylori-positive/CagA-negative children (5.7 +/- 1.9 vs. 3.8 +/- 1.6, respectively; p = 0.0003), either in the antral (p = 0.0002) or in the corpus (p = 0.001) mucosa. Inflammation (p = 0.0001) and activity (p = 0.0001) scores were both higher in H. pylori-positive/CagA-positive children than in H. pylori-positive/CagA-negative children, but the H. pylori density score was not significantly different (p = NS). In no case was normal gastric mucosa found in H. pylori-positive/ CagA-positive children. Lymphocytic gastritis (p = 0.0008) and lymphoid follicles (p = 0.000003) were a more frequent finding in H. pylori-positive children than in H. pylori negative children, irrespective of CagA status. CONCLUSION: Testing for serum IgG to CagA detects higher grades of gastric inflammation among children with H. pylori infection. It may be useful in targeting H. pylori-positive/ CagA-positive children for antimicrobial therapy while reducing the need for endoscopy and gastric biopsy.

Helicobacter pylori infection in children with celiac disease: prevalence and clinicopathologic features.

BACKGROUND: Celiac disease is frequently associated with chronic gastritis. Helicobacter pylori is the main etiologic agent of chronic gastritis. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of H. pylori, the related symptoms, and the endoscopic and histologic gastric features in children with celiac disease. METHODS: Eight-one (24 boys, 57 girls; age range: 1.4-17.7 years, median 6.8) children with celiac disease were studied. All children had a blood sample taken. In a subgroup of 30 children who underwent endoscopy, three gastric biopsy specimens were taken for histology (hematoxylin and eosin, Giemsa, immunohistochemistry) and urease quick test. Symptom complaints were recorded. Age- and sex-matched (one case, one control) children without celiac disease were used for comparison. Serum H. pylori IgG were measured by means of a locally validated commercial enzyme-linked immunoassay. RESULTS: Overall, 15 of 81 (18.5%) children with celiac disease and 14 of 81 (17.3%) control children were positive for H. pylori. The percentage of H. pylori positivity was similar in children with untreated and treated celiac disease. Recurrent abdominal pain was the only symptom that helped to distinguish between H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative children. However, symptoms disappeared in patients with celiac disease after gluten withdrawal, irrespective of H. pylori status. All endoscopic (erythema, nodularity) and histologic (superficial-, interstitial-, lymphocytic-gastritis, activity, lymphoid follicles) findings did not differ between celiac and nonceliac H. pylori-positive children. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence and clinical expressivity of H. pylori infection is not increased in children with celiac disease. The clinicopathologic pattern of the infection is not specifically influenced in this condition.