[Primary meningococcal conjunctivitis: implications beyond the conjunctiva]. / Conjuntivitis meningocócica primaria: implicaciones más allá de la conjuntiva.

BACKGROUND: Neisseria meningitidis is a uncommon cause of acute bacterial conjunctivitis. However, its diagnosis has important therapeutic implications. METHODS: From December 1993 to January 1984, a prospective study on acute bacterial conjunctivitis was performed at the Hospital Universitario Materno-Infantil Vall d'Hebron. Primary meningococcal conjunctivitis (PMC) was diagnosed in 34 patients. The diagnosis of PMC was made on the basis of consistent clinical manifestations together with isolation of Neisseria meningitidis from conjunctival exudate culture. RESULTS: There were 16 men and 18 women with a mean age of 3.5 +/- 3.3 years. PMC was bilateral in 7 patients and unilateral in 27. Initial therapy for PMC included only topical antibiotics in 24 patients and systemic antibiotic therapy in 10. Ten patients (29.4%) developed invasive meningococcal disease. None of the patients died neither developed ocular sequelae. Forty one percent of the patients who received only topical therapy and none [corrected] of those who received systemic therapy, developed invasive meningococcal disease (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: PMC may represent the portal of entry for invasive meningococcal disease, which occurs in almost a third of patients. Patients with PMC and higher risk of developing invasive meningococcal disease are those treated only with topical antibiotic therapy.

[Bird breeder's lung in children]. / Pulmón del criador de pájaros en la infancia.

A case of hypersensitivity pneumonitis due to pigeon-dropping antigens is reported in a 9 year old girl, and compared with other seven previous reports in children. The insidious nature of this disease, as well as the importance of detailed environmental information in children with unexplained respiratory disease are emphasized. In this case, lung function tests showed a classic restrictive ventilatory defect, and a serious obstructive ventilatory defect evidenced in the narrowing of the smaller airways, and a reduction in the forced expiratory flow at small lung volumes. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is a lung disease that results from sensitization by inhalation of a variety of organic dusts. Patients usually have circulating antibodies against the etiologic agents. Most patients with this disease also have sensitized T-cells to these agents. Long-term exposure can lead to irreversible lung disease. The histopathologic features are chronic interstitial and alveolar inflammation frequently accompanied by a granulomatous response. The most common symptomatic features are fever, chills and dyspnea 4 to 8 hours after exposure. Antibody activity to antigens is detected in the serum of both symptomatic and asymptomatic breeder's lung. Cellular hypersensitivity to antigens is demonstrated "in vitro" with peripheral lymphocyte populations in almost all symptomatic patients.