Acalculous Cholecystitis in a Pediatric Patient With Plasmodium Falciparum Infection: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Malaria has been associated with acute acalculous cholecystitis, a very uncommon complication in children. We present a 5-year-old girl, originally from Equatorial-Guinea, diagnosed with severe malaria with acute kidney injury, thrombocytopenia and acute acalculous cholecystitis. She was treated with intravenous quinine and clindamycin, plus cefotaxime and metronidazole with a full resolution without surgery.

Disease disclosure, treatment adherence, and behavioural profile in a cohort of vertically acquired HIV-infected adolescents. NeuroCoRISpeS study.

UNLABELLED: Advances in care and antiretroviral treatment, improved life expectancy and quality of life in children with perinatally-acquired human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. There is increasing interest in the chronic effects of growing up with HIV. The aim of this study was to assess the psychosocial, emotional and behavioural functioning in a cohort of perinatally-acquired HIV-infected adolescents. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for emotional and behavioural disorders screening. RESULTS: A total of 95 patients (58% women) were assessed with a median age of 15 years (11-19.1) and a median age at diagnosis of 1.7 years (0-12.2). The median CD4 count, at the inclusion, was 626 cells/mm(3) (132-998), with 34% (10-52%). Viral load was <50 copies/ml in 72% of patients. Eighty-one per cent knew their diagnosis and optimal adherence was achieved in 53%. Passive coping was reported in 58.4% of the adolescents. Only 7.7% of teenagers had a complete and adequate knowledge of their disease and only 18.2% had shared it with their friends. Six unwanted pregnancies occurred (11% of women). Most of them (90%) attended school but 60% had been held back one or more school years. Overall, SDQ scored a risk of behavioural and emotional problems in 24.5%. The report of behaviours associated with hyperactivity was high in 14.9% of the population and borderline in 18.1%. Adolescents with encephalopathy accounted for 44% of those whose total scores fell in either the abnormal and borderline ranges for emotional difficulties (p = .038). CONCLUSION: Perinatally-acquired HIV-infected adolescents showed significant psychosocial and behavioural health risks that should bring attention to prevention and health care programmes. An earlier disclosure to children could favour a better psychological adjustment and a better treatment adherence. Future studies are needed to assess the relationship between vertically acquired HIV-infection and hyperactivity.

Cardiac function in vertically HIV-infected children and adolescents in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated increased risk of adverse cardiac outcomes in adults with HIV infection. However, few studies have addressed this problem in vertically HIV-infected children and adolescents, and the long-term cardiac health of this unique population in the antiretroviral therapy era is still unknown. METHODS: Ventricular function was evaluated cross-sectionally in a group of HIV-infected children and adolescents and healthy controls, using conventional echocardiography along with tissue Doppler imaging and strain analysis by speckle tracking. Simultaneously, measurements of carotid intima-media thickness were performed. RESULTS: A total of 64 cases and 58 controls were included, mean age was 13.6 ± 5.4 years and 64% were females. All but 2 patients were on antiretroviral treatment, and 64% had undetectable viral load. HIV-infected patients showed higher intima-media thickness (0.425 ± 0.019 vs. 0.415 ± 0.019 mm, P = 0.003). Statistically significant differences were found between groups in ejection fraction and fractional shortening (66.1% and 36.2% in the HIV-infected group vs. 71.5% and 40.8% in the control group, respectively, P = 0.001), although individual values fell within or near normal ranges. There were no significant differences in diastolic function, tissue Doppler imaging or cardiac strain (longitudinal and rotational) between both groups. No associations were identified between echocardiographic parameters and current CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts, CD4+ T-lymphocyte nadir, HIV viral load, duration or type of antiretroviral treatment regimens. CONCLUSIONS: In a context of highly effective antiretroviral treatment, no differences were found regarding cardiac abnormalities using conventional and advanced ultrasound imaging techniques in this cohort of vertically HIV-infected children and adolescents, when compared with healthy controls.

Effect of nutritional status on Tuberculin skin testing.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate Tuberculin skin test (TST) results in a population of immigrants and internationally adopted children from several geographical areas; to analyze whether nutritional status can modify TST results. METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study included adopted children and immigrants evaluated in the authors' unit between January 2003 and December 2008. Children diagnosed with tuberculosis, or vaccinated with live attenuated virus 2 mo earlier, HIV-infected, chronically ill or under treatment with immunosuppressive agents were excluded. TST was considered as dependent variable. Independent variables were gender, age, geographical origin, BCG scar, nutritional status, immune status and intestinal parasitism. RESULTS: One thousand seventy four children were included; 69.6 % were girls. There was a BCG scar in 79 % of children. Mantoux = 0 mm was found in 84.4 %, <10 mm in 4.1 %, and ≥10 mm in 11.4 % of children. Nutrition (McLaren's classification) was normal (≥90 %) in 26.7 % of the subjects, with mild malnutrition (80-89 %) in 36 %, moderate (70-79 %) in 23.2 % and severe (≤69 %) in 14.1 %. There was no difference in TST results among different nutritional status children. CONCLUSIONS: The nutritional status, measured by McLaren's classification, does not changes the results of TST. McLaren's classification only grades protein-caloric malnutrition, so in authors' experience this type of malnutrition does not interfere with TST results. Implementing other nutritional parameters could help to determine whether nutritional status should be taken into account when interpreting TST results.

Is there interference in the interpretation of the tuberculin skin test in children with intestinal parasitic infestation?

BACKGROUND: Infestation by intestinal parasites could be a cause of a false-negative tuberculin skin test (TST) result. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate TST results in a population of immigrants and internationally adopted children and to analyze whether intestinal parasitic infestation may modify or not TST results. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study which includes adopted children or immigrants evaluated in our hospital between January 2003 and December 2008. The TST was considered as the dependent variable and independent variables were gender, age, geographical origin, bacille Calmette-Guérin scar, nutritional status, immune status, and intestinal parasitism. RESULTS: One thousand and seventy-four children were included, of whom 69·6% were female. There was a bacillus Calmette-Guérin scar in 79% of the children and in 20·3% intestinal parasites were found. There were no differences in TST results among infested and non-infested children. CONCLUSIONS: Intestinal parasitic infestation did not change TST results in our study and these results coincide with recent articles regarding questionable interference that intestinal parasitic infestations may produce on TST results.

Tuberculin skin test in bacille Calmette-Guérin-vaccinated children: how should we interpret the results?

BACKGROUND: The tuberculin skin test (TST) is the most useful method for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). There is no evidence about the effect of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine on the interpretation of TST results. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate TST results in a population of immigrants and adopted children, analyzing the effect of the vaccine on TST. METHODS: Cross-sectional observational study including immigrants or adopted children evaluated in our unit between January 2003 and December 2008 was made. Children diagnosed with TB, live attenuated virus vaccinated 2 months earlier, HIV-infected, chronically ill, or under treatment with immunosuppressive agents were excluded. TST was considered the dependent variable. Independent variables were gender, age, geographical origin, BCG scar, nutritional status, immune status, and intestinal parasites infestation. RESULTS: One thousand seventy-four children were included, 69.6 % are female; their origin includes China (34.7 %), Latin America (20.8 %), India/Nepal (19.4 %), Eastern Europe (15.7 %), and Africa (9.3 %). BCG scar was present in 79 % of children. Mantoux = 0 mm in 84.4 %, <10 mm in 4.1 %, and ≥10 mm in 11.4 %. Only two variables, age and BCG scar, influenced TST result. Risk of a TST false-positive due to BCG disappears 3 years after vaccine administration. CONCLUSIONS: A history of BCG vaccination at birth does not interfere with TST results in children >3 years old. Under 3 years of age, BCG does interfere with and may cause a false-positive TST result. In these cases, the use of interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) is recommended. If IGRAs are not available or when results are indeterminate, ignoring the antecedent of the vaccine is recommended.