ABSTRACT
Diaphragmatic hernia originates from insufficient closure of the pericardioperitoneal canals and pleuroperitoneal membranes. It is seen in one in every 4000 births. The general finding in the newborn period is respiratory difficulty. Mortality is 40-50%. There may be other accompanying organ anomalies. Congenital diaphragmatic hernias diagnosed after the newborn period are known as late-presenting congenital diaphragmatic hernias. This group is seen at a level of 5-20% and poses difficulty in diagnosis. This report describes a case under observation and receiving treatment for gastrointestinal haemorrhage, diagnosed as Bochdalek hernia.
ABSTRACT
We evaluated the effect of Saccharomyces boulardii administration in otherwise healthy children aged between 6 months and 10 years who were admitted for acute diarrhoea (15 males, 12 females). The patients were randomized into two groups: group 1 (n = 16) received 250 mg S. boulardii dissolved in 5 ml of water orally twice daily for 7 days and group 2 (n = 11) received placebo. Clinical and laboratory assessments were performed on admission and on day 7 of follow-up. Both groups experienced reduced daily stool frequency, the decrease being significantly greater in group 1 on days 3 and 4 compared with group 2. Group 1 demonstrated significant increases in serum immunoglobulin A and decreases in C-reactive protein levels on day 7. The percentage of CD8 lymphocytes on day 7 was significantly higher in group 1 than group 2. This study confirmed the efficacy of S. boulardii in paediatric acute gastroenteritis and the findings suggest that S. boulardii treatment enhances the immune response.
Subject(s)
Gastroenteritis/therapy , Saccharomyces , Acute Disease , C-Reactive Protein/analysis , CD4-CD8 Ratio , Child , Child, Preschool , Double-Blind Method , Female , Gastroenteritis/immunology , Humans , Immunoglobulin A/blood , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Immunoglobulin M/blood , Infant , Male , Placebos , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
Hallervorden-Spatz disease is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with cysteine-iron complex accumulation typically seen as bilateral symmetrical hypointense signal changes in the medial globus pallidus on magnetic resonance imaging. We used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to identify and quantify neuronal damage in two siblings with Hallervorden-Spatz disease. The first patient presenting with a rapidly progressive extrapyramidal syndrome had markedly decreased N-acetylaspartate (NAA) to creatinine (Cr) ratios in the globus pallidi and the periatrial white matter. He also had increased myoinositol (mI) to creatinine (Cr) ratios implying glial proliferation in the affected regions. However the second patient who had the initial presentation of disease had normal NAA/Cr and mI/Cr ratios. These findings indicate that the quantification of NAA:Cr and mI:Cr ratios might be used to predict the extent of neuronal axonal loss and glial proliferation in patients with Hallervorden-Spatz disease respectively.
