Pericardial cyst in a one-year-old boy with ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus.

BACKGROUND: Pericardial cysts are rare, with the most common etiology being congenital. Ventricular septal defect is the most common congenital heart disease in children. However, the combination of pericardial cyst, ventricular septal defect, and patent ductus arteriosus is extremely rare. CASE PRESENTATION: A one-year-old boy with ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus was planned for surgical correction. Intraoperatively, we made an additional diagnosis of a large pericardial cyst; and the cyst was excised along with ventricular septal defect closure and patent ductus arteriosus ligation. CONCLUSIONS: Pericardial cysts can sometimes be missed with transthoracic echocardiography. Excision of the cyst can safely be done during concomitant cardiac surgery.

Tuberculosis presenting as multiple intramuscular nodules in a child: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis is a global health problem that mostly affects people in developing countries. Tuberculosis can occur in various organ systems and may present with diverse manifestations in the same system. Primary muscular tuberculosis is a very rare condition in both adults and children, and tuberculosis of various muscle groups presenting as intramuscular nodules is an even more uncommon presentation. CASE PRESENTATION: A 9-year-old Asian girl presented with multiple painless, gradually progressive swellings over different parts of her body for 3 months with no history of contact with tuberculosis. A physical examination was normal except for multiple swellings in her right forearm, a single swelling in her interscapular region and multiple swellings in her right calf. Ultrasonography of swellings revealed multiple nodules in the intramuscular layer. Excisional biopsies performed from two different sites revealed swellings in muscular layers and histopathology showed granulomatous inflammation with caseous necrosis consistent with tuberculosis. The child was started on antitubercular therapy after which the swellings resolved; she was kept on regular follow up. CONCLUSIONS: Intramuscular nodules in multiple muscular sites may be the presenting symptoms of tuberculosis of the muscles. Tuberculosis of skeletal muscles should be considered in a differential diagnosis when presented with single or multiple masses even when a chest X-ray is normal and there is no evidence of tubercular foci elsewhere in the body.

Systemic lupus erythematosus and granulomatous lymphadenopathy.

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is known to present with a wide variety of clinical manifestations. Lymphadenopathy is frequently observed in children with SLE and may occasionally be the presenting feature. SLE presenting with granulomatous changes in lymph node biopsy is rare. These features may also cause diagnostic confusion with other causes of granulomatous lymphadenopathy. CASE PRESENTATION: We report 12 year-old female who presented with generalized lymphadenopathy associated with intermittent fever as well as weight loss for three years. She also had developed anasarca two years prior to presentation. On presentation, she had growth failure and delayed puberty. Lymph node biopsy revealed granulomatous features. She developed a malar rash, arthritis and positive ANA antibodies over the course of next two months and showed WHO class II lupus nephritis on renal biopsy, which confirmed the final diagnosis of SLE. She was started on oral prednisolone and hydroxychloroquine with which her clinical condition improved, and she is currently much better under regular follow up. CONCLUSION: Generalized lymphadenopathy may be the presenting feature of SLE and it may preceed the other symptoms of SLE by many years as illustrated by this patient. Granulomatous changes may rarely be seen in lupus lymphadenitis. Although uncommon, in children who present with generalized lymphadenopathy along with prolonged fever and constitutional symptoms, non-infectious causes like SLE should also be considered as a diagnostic possibility.