Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 interferon gamma release assay in BNT162b2 vaccinated healthcare workers.

To predict protective immunity to SARS-CoV-2, cellular immunity seems to be more sensitive than humoral immunity. Through an Interferon-Gamma (IFN-γ) Release Assay (IGRA), we show that, despite a marked decrease in total antibodies, 94.3% of 123 healthcare workers have a positive cellular response 6 months after inoculation with the 2nd dose of BNT162b2 vaccine. Despite the qualitative relationship found, we did not observe a quantitative correlation between IFN-γ and IgG levels against SARS-CoV-2. Using stimulated whole blood from a subset of participants, we confirmed the specific T-cell response to SARS-CoV-2 by dosing elevated levels of the IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α. Through a 20-month follow-up, we found that none of the infected participants had severe COVID-19 and that the first positive cases were only 12 months after the 2nd dose inoculation. Future studies are needed to understand if IGRA-SARS-CoV-2 can be a powerful diagnostic tool to predict future COVID-19 severe disease, guiding vaccination policies.

Pushing Backwards: Evaluating Effectiveness of Conservative Treatment of Intestinal Intussusception.

OBJECTIVE: Intestinal intussusception (II) is a common cause for acute abdomen in children, occurring in 0.33 to 0.71 per 1000 children per year. Early diagnosis and treatment are fundamental for prevention of irreversible intestinal damage. The first line of treatment is conservative, with saline reduction enema or air reduction enema. Our goal is to evaluate results with conservative treatment of II in children. METHODS: A retrospective single-center review of all patients with diagnosis of II from January 2014 to December 2019 was performed. Demographics, clinical data, treatment option, and results were assessed. RESULTS: Thirty-eight cases were identified. The mean age was 26 months, and 68% were males. Most presented with abdominal pain (95%) and vomiting (66%), after an average of 30 hours. Rectal bleeding was present in 32% of patients. Abdominal ultrasound was performed in all patients for diagnosis. Conservative treatment was first option in 95% of patients, with a global effectiveness of 83% after 1 attempt. Saline reduction enema was more effective than air reduction enema (88% vs 70%), and patients with successful reduction were younger (24 vs 33 months), but neither reached statistical significance. Two patients had a subsequent II episode within 1 week after hospital discharge. Neither age, sex, symptoms and respective duration, rotavirus inoculation, intussuscepted bowel length, nor technique used was predictive of treatment failure or II relapse. CONCLUSIONS: Conservative treatment in II is a safe and effective option, preventing invasive surgical procedures. Effectiveness of such treatments may be as high as 88% after 1 attempt, with rapid diet reintroduction. Same-day discharge after oral feeding toleration is safe.

Early results of a distance learning paediatric surgery programme in Mozambique.

Introduction: A pre-graduate training programme in paediatric surgery was applied to students in four medical schools of Mozambique. In this paper, we evaluate the early results of the programme. Materials and Methods: A pre-graduate training programme was developed and applied in two stages, theoretical education available at an online platform and a face-to-face session. To evaluate the programme, a diagnostic test was applied to all participants before the face-to-face session and, the same test, was applied again at the end of the session. Results: A total of 236 students participated in the programme. Forty-four per cent had a negative score on the diagnostic test. When the test was repeated, 91.9% had a positive score, and the difference between the scores in both tests reached statistical significance (P < 0.05). The participants who completed the first phase of the programme presented a higher median score in both tests (P < 0.05). Conclusions: : The diagnostic tests allowed us to verify there was an increase in knowledge before and after the face-to-face session. There was also a significant difference between those participants who completed the online phase of the programme and those who did only the face-to-face session, which allows us to conclude that the online teaching programme was effective.

PLEURAL METASTASIS OF A PEDIATRIC OSTEOSARCOMA.

INTRODUCTION: Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor in children and young adults. Although osteosarcoma is a tumor with a great metastatic potential, mainly to the lung; pleural metastasis in patients with osteosarcoma are rarely reported. We present a case of 16 years-old male with a pleural metastasis of a tibial osteosarcoma diagnosed 4years earlier. He was submitted to a left thoracotomy and intra-operatively a pleural mass and a left upper lobe lesion was identified. Video-assisted resection of the extra-pulmonary mass and a wedge resection of the left upper lobe lesion was performed. The surgery was uneventful. The patient is clinically well, asymptomatic, maintains active surveillance.

Compensatory sweating after thoracoscopic sympathectomy for primary focal hyperhidrosis in children: Are there patient-related risk factors?

INTRODUCTION: Compensatory sweating (CS) is a common complication after thoracoscopic sympathectomy (TS) and is mainly associated with surgical technique. Our aim was to identify potential risk-factors for CS following TS for primary focal hyperhidrosis in children. METHODS: A retrospective, single-center review of all bilateral TS was performed between 2017 and 2019. Hyperhidrosis disease severity scale was used for pre-operative severity assessment. Post-operative evaluations were performed after three and six months. RESULTS: More than the 36-month period, 41 patients were submitted to T2-T4 TS, and 25 were females (60.9%). Median age at surgery was 15.5 years. CS was identified at the 3rd month in 17 (41%) children with most in the dorsolumbar region (56%). By the 6th month, there was a significant reduction in CS (41 to 32%, p = 0.02). The probability of resolution of CS by 6 months is about 50% in both the dorsolumbar and abdominal regions. Neither age, gender, body mass index, family history, or concomitant illnesses seemed to influence CS (p > 0.05). Axillary hyperhidrosis appears to be associated with the development of dorsolumbar CS (p = 0.037). CONCLUSION: Thoracoscopic sympathectomy for PFH is a safe and effective procedure, but compensatory sweating can be a common and debilitating side effect. Age, gender, and body mass index do not appear to influence CS. Axillary hyperhidrosis may be related to the development of dorsolumbar CS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Pediatric Burns With Cyanoacrylate Glue: An Inconspicuous Danger.

Burns are a common cause of pediatric injury and represent significant morbidity and mortality in this age group. In children, most burns are thermal, resulting from exposure to a hot surface, liquid, or fire. Cyanoacrylate is a liquid compound commonly found in households, mainly in "superglue" and nail glue. This compound solidifies through an exothermic reaction that is magnified when in contact with certain fibers that act as catalysts, such as cotton. In these circumstances, intense heat is produced in the contact area, potentially causing severe thermal burns. Despite its widespread availability, there is a paucity of safety information about cyanoacrylate and its role as a cause for burns. In the literature, only 18 cases of cyanoacrylate burns are reported in children. We present two cases of pediatric burns with cyanoacrylate and a review of the literature.

Endoscopic pilonidal sinus treatment versus total excision with primary closure for sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease in the pediatric population.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Endoscopic Pilonidal Sinus Treatment (EPSiT) in the pediatric population and compare it with excision followed by primary closure (EPC) regarding intra- and postoperative outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all patients with chronic sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus submitted to EPSiT and EPC during a 12-month period in our institution was performed. Data concerning patients' demographics and surgical outcomes were collected and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: We analyzed a total of 21 cases that underwent EPSiT and 63 cases of EPC, both groups with similar demographic characteristics. Operative time was similar for both groups (30 vs. 38min; p>0.05). No major intraoperative complications were reported. Wound infection rate was lower for EPSiT ((5.2% [n=1] vs. 20.0% [n=12]); p>0.05). Healing time was similar for both groups (28 vs. 37.5days). Recurrence occurred in 18,9% (n=15), with 2 cases (10.5%) reported in the EPSiT group versus 13 (21.6%) in EPC. There were no differences between groups regarding postoperative complications, complete wound healing and recurrence rates or healing time (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that EPSiT is as viable as excision followed by primary closure in the management of sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus in the pediatric population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study - level III.

Five-years' experience with outpatient thyroglossal duct cyst surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Many pediatric surgeons feel uncomfortable doing Sistrunk procedure without drain placement and in an outpatient setting. This study aimed to review our pediatric surgery department's experience in managing thyroglossal duct cyst surgery and to prove feasibility and safety of Sistrunk procedure without drain placement in an outpatient setting. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of all patients who underwent Sistrunk procedure, between January 2011 and December 2015, in our department. RESULTS: A total of 36 patients were included, with age ranging from 1 to 14 years (mean 6.3 years). Sixteen patients underwent day surgery, and 20 stayed overnight (with less than 24 h postoperative discharge). The main reason to stay overnight was distance (greater than 60 km or 1 h driving) between the hospital and patient's residence. All patients had histopathological confirmation of the diagnosis. None of the patients had a drain placed intraoperatively. There was only one readmission at 48 h postoperative; a patient who underwent day surgery came back with cervical edema, which resolved with non-operative treatment. Short-term complications included post-operative local wound infection (8,5%) and hematoma (2,9%), none of which required surgical treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Sistrunk procedure without drain placement is safe and can be performed in an outpatient setting.

[Seroprevalence survey of Toscana virus infection in Oporto region]. / Estudo de seroprevalência da infecção por vírus Toscânia na região do Porto.

UNLABELLED: Toscana virus (TOSV) endemic in central Italy, has been documented in several European countries of the Mediterranean region. It is a neurotropic virus and in some of these countries studies to investigate seroprevalence have been done. In a recent etiologic study of meningitis we chose 106 of 308 samples to be tested for TOSV using a nested RT-PCR assay, and found six (5.6%) cases of meningitis by Toscana virus. AIM: To investigate the seroprevalence of antibodies against TOSV in a cohort of a population attended in our Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In serum samples collected for routine study we have investigated the presence of antibodies for TOSV. The study included samples of patients hospitalized and others observed in ambulatory and includes children and adults. Immunocompromised patients were excluded. The test was based on the-ELISA technique ((ENZYWELL), according to the manufacture instructions, being positive for a cut-off>1.2, negative if the cut-off <0.8 and doubtful if the cut-off >0.8 e <1.2. RESULTS: 334 serum samples arbitrarily were used for seroprevalence study of antibodies to TOSV, 304 adults and 30 children. Positive results for anti-TOSV were obtained in 13 (3.9%) samples; in other 21 the result was doubtful and in those cases it was not possible to repeat because we have only one pair of serum and in the remaining 300 the result was negative. The positive samples were all from adults, 8 females and 5 males, 8 (62%) of them were older than 60 years. All children' samples were negative for TOSV antibodies. CONCLUSION: We documented a seroprevalence of 3.9% to TOSV, namely in adults older than 60 years. Our prevalence is lower when compared to other European countries, namely Spain (5-22%).