A case of Candida septic arthritis with rice body formation in a 2-month-old infant.

We present a case of rice body formation in the left knee joint of a 2-month-old infant affected by Candida albicans septic arthritis which has never been reported before. Rice body formation has been described in association with rheumatoid or tuberculous arthritis and is very rare in Candida arthritis. After three weeks of therapy with amphotericin B administered intravenously, the infant recovered fully from infection. Septic arthritis is a serious cause of morbidity and for proper evaluation and treatment fungal septic arthritis should be included in the differential diagnosis.

An extra mouth in a newborn: a unique case of facial duplication.

An accessory mouth is a very rare condition, with approximately 15 cases reported in the literature to date. We describe another unique case and discuss its possible embryopathogenesis.

Massive myocardial infarction in a full-term newborn: a case report.

A full-term female newborn with neonatal asphyxia and severe anemia (Hb 2.5 g/dL) with normal heart developed a massive myocardial infarction. No examinations were performed during pregnancy for parental nomadism. The baby had immediate external cardiac massage, ventilatory assistance, and blood transfusion. Cardiomegaly was evident at chest X-ray and marked signs of ischemia-lesion at ECG. Echocardiography showed dilated, hypertrophic, and hypocontractile left ventricle (LV), mitral and tricuspid regurgitation, and moderate pericardial effusion. Rh isoimmunization and infective agents were excluded at laboratory tests. Despite the treatment with inotropes, hydrocortisone, and furosemide, the baby worsened and died at 45 hours of life. Postmortem examination showed diffuse subendocardial infarction of LV and diffuse parenchymal hemorrhages and myocardial hypertrophy, increase of eosinophilia, and polymorphonucleated cells at histology. Our patient suffered apparently from longstanding fetal anemia of unknown etiology that led to perinatal distress, severe hypoxia, and massive myocardial infarction, unresponsive to the therapy.

Oxidative and inflammatory parameters in respiratory distress syndrome of preterm newborns: beneficial effects of melatonin.

Reactive oxygen species play an important role in the pathogenesis of respiratory distress syndrome and its complications. This study was conducted to determine if treatment with the antioxidant melatonin would influence interleukin-6, interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and nitrite/nitrate levels in newborns with grade III or IV respiratory distress syndrome (radiographically confirmed) diagnosed within the first 6 hours of life. Prior to treatment, a blood sample was collected from the umbilical cord or a peripheral vein of each newborn. Second, third, and fourth blood samples were collected at 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days, respectively, after beginning treatment with melatonin or placebo. Compared with the melatonin-treated respiratory distress syndrome newborns, in the untreated infants the concentrations of interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and tumor necrosis factor alpha were significantly higher at 24 hours, 72 hours, and at 7 days after onset of the study. in addition, nitrite/nitrate levels at all time points were higher in the untreated respiratory distress syndrome newborns than in the melatonin-treated babies. Following melatonin administration, nitrite/nitrate levels decreased significantly, whereas they remained high and increased further in the respiratory distress syndrome infants not given melatonin.