Eosinophilic esophagitis in children with esophageal atresia.

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) has only rarely been reported in esophageal atresia (EA) patients. A retrospective case analysis of all EA patients born at our center between January 1999 and April 2012 was performed. A total of 113 of patients were identified; 10 patients were excluded as a result of inadequate data. Eighteen patients (17%) were diagnosed with EoE. The average number of eosinophilis was 30/high-power field (HPF) (19/HPF-80/HPF). The median age for diagnosis of EoE was 1 year and 6 months (8 months-8 years and 7 months). Children with EoE had a significantly greater incidence of reflux symptoms, dysphagia, tracheomalacia, and 'hypoxic spells' (P < 0.05). EoE patients also underwent significantly more surgery including fundoplication and aortopexy when compared with those without EoE (P < 0.0001). Although the incidence of gastrostomy was greater in the EoE group (33% vs. 13%), this was not statistically significant. Half of the EoE patients had a coexisting atopic condition at time of diagnosis. The commonest condition was asthma 7/18 (38%) followed by specific food allergy 6/18 (33%). EoE was treated in 11 patients with either swallowed fluticasone or budesonide slurry. All improved clinically. Histologically, five had complete resolution and six had partial improvement. Six children with EoE were treated with acid suppression alone. All improved clinically, and 5/6 had subsequent histological resolution. One child who received acid suppression and an exclusion diet also improved. Seven patients (38%) had an esophageal stricture at time of EoE diagnosis. Five were dilated at time of the initial endoscopy, prior to the diagnosis of EoE being available. Two patients had resolution of their strictures on medical treatment of their EoE alone and did not require further dilatation. EoE was seen in 17% of children with EA in this study. EoE should be considered in EA patients with persistent symptoms on standard reflux treatment, increasing dysphagia, and recurrent strictures.

Solid and cystic papillary epithelial neoplasm of the pancreas in an 11-year-old girl: imaging features with pathological correlation.

Solid and cystic papillary epithelial neoplasms (SCPEN) of the pancreas are rare tumours seen in young women. Pancreatic masses in children are extremely rare and SCPEN should be considered in the radiological differential diagnosis. Although there have been many series of SCPEN reported in the published literature in adults, only two series have focused on paediatric patients. The radiological and histopathological features of SCPEN in a paediatric patient are presented.

The occurrence of congenital heart defects in an inbred herd of pigs in Australia.

OBJECTIVE: To report on the first case of congenital heart defects in pigs in Australia. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of case records from an inbred herd of "Westran" pigs at the University of Sydney, between January 2001 and December 2004. Detailed gross and histological examination of 15 hearts from pigs that had died or were euthanased in 2004. CASE DETAILS: The necropsy records from a population of 471 pigs that had died (106 pigs) or were euthanased for research purposes (365 pigs) were analysed and the incidence of heart defects recorded, together with basic demographic data. No attempts were made to diagnose the condition in live pigs. RESULTS: Congenital heart defects were diagnosed in 6.4% of pigs but this is likely to be an underestimate of the incidence of the deformity. Eighteen pigs died on the farm as a result of the defect, and 12 pigs were diagnosed with the defect as an incidental finding. The most common abnormality seen at necropsy was a sac-like dilatation on the right lateral surface of the right atrium. This was associated with secondary deformity and hypoplasia of the adjacent left ventricle, interventricular region and part of the right ventricle. All hearts showed atrial septal defects of varying size. CONCLUSION: This is the first reported case of congenital heart defects in pigs in Australia, and one of less than five reported cases of atrial septal defects in pigs in the world. The authors conclude that there may be an element of genetic predisposition to the malformation, since it has only been reported in this inbred line of pigs.

An unusual foreign body in the distal small intestine: case report.

A case of a deceased 77-year-old woman presenting to the coroner for postmortem examination scribed. A plastic tie used to seal loaves of sliced bread and other plastic-wrapped food stuffs was found clamped by its "teeth" to a length of small bowel proximal to the cecum, resulting in localized mucosal ulceration, thickening, and edema of the bowel wall. There was also infarcted small bowel due to aortic atherosclerosis, which was submitted as the cause of death. The presence of the bread tie probably did not significantly contribute to death but was as an unusual finding at postmortem examination and has not been previously described.

Cell wall metabolism and autolytic activities of the yeast Saccharomyces exiguus.

Autolytic activities were measured in cell walls prepared from the yeast Saccharomyces exiguus. Walls of yeast cells exhibited higher autolytic activities directed toward glucans at the exponential phase of growth when compared to cells at the stationary phase, while glucanase activities in the soluble extract fraction were higher at the stationary phase when compared to exponential phase, suggesting an important role of cell wall glucanases in growth of the yeast cells. Yeast cell walls also exhibited a substantially high autolytic activity of glycoproteins containing mannose throughout growth. These results illustrate the diverse metabolism related to functions of yeast cell walls.

Acute mannitol and saline volume expansion in the rat: effect on transepithelial potential difference in proximal tubules.

1. Transepithelial potential difference (PDte) of proximal tubules was measured in rats under control conditions (C), and mannitol-saline and saline extracellular fluid volume expansion (MVE, SVE, respectively) under conditions of normal net lumen to basal sodium transport. 2. PDte was measured in kidneys bathed with Hartmann's solution or covered with mineral oil under both volume-expanded conditions together with their controls. 3. PDte was significantly lower in kidneys bathed with Hartmann's solution than those covered with oil. 4. In MVE rats, with mineral oil covering the kidneys, PDte (expressed as mean and s.e.m.) was for the control 2.20 +/- 0.05 (n = 45) mV and MVE 1.97 +/- 0.04 (n = 36) mV, lumen positive, a significant reduction of 10% (P less than 0.001). In SVE rats, with mineral oil covering the kidneys, PDte was for C = 2.42 +/- 0.05 (n = 74) mV and SVE = 1.93 +/- 0.03 (n = 67) mV, a significant reduction (P less than 0.001) of 20%. 5. According to thermodynamic considerations, neither of these changes is sufficient to explain the 50% inhibition of Na transport measured previously during MVE and SVE with autologous tubular fluid. The present results offer further evidence supporting the idea that the inhibition of Na transport during MVE and SVE is largely due to inhibition of the active Na transporting step.

Method of measuring liquid junction potentials in small (nanolitre) droplets of biological fluids.

1. A method is described which allows the determination of liquid junction potentials between biological fluid samples of less than 1 nL with a reproducibility of 10%. This was achieved by use of a micro-method and the use of 3% agarose added to the electrolyte in the measuring electrodes. 2. Validation was performed with a modified flowing boundary method and the system was also tested using a solution containing divalent ions. Liquid junction potential between surface fluid from rat kidneys and harvested renal proximal tubular fluids was -0.62 +/- 0.11 mV (mean +/- s.d., n = 66).