[Asymptomatic placental Listeria infection]. / Placentite à Listeria asymptomatique.

A case of Listeria monocytogenes placental infection without foetal contamination is reported. The infant, normal at birth, developed progressive and severe neurological involvement. At 8 months of age, magnetic resonance imaging showed a bilateral cerebral atrophy. The responsibility of placental damage in altering the utero-placental blood flow with subsequent foetal hypoxia is discussed.

[Neonatal proteus mirabilis adrenal gland abscess]. / Abcès surrénalien néonatal à Proteus mirabilis.

The authors describe a case of unilateral adrenal abscess in a neonate, which was diagnosed at 13 days of age by abdominal ultrasonography. The newborn presented with persistent high white blood cells after Proteus mirabilis omphalitis. Magnetic resonance imaging and needle aspiration confirmed the diagnosis. This is the second case of Proteus mirabilis neonatal adrenal abscess reported in the literature. Percutaneous drainage allowed complete recovery.

[Course of renal lesions in disseminated lupus erythematosus]. / Evolution des lésions rénales du lupus érythémateux disséminé.

Clinical and biological features, histologic findings, and outcome were studied in 32 children with systemic lupus erythematosus who underwent at least two renal biopsies during the course of their disease. Results showed that renal biopsy was a useful aid for therapy in that it demonstrated the presence or absence of disease activity, but was unhelpful for predicting the long term outcome. Repeat renal biopsies proved an excellent means for monitoring the course of the nephropathy. This study showed that the various patterns of glomerulonephritis seen in SLE may exhibit changes over time, with either improvement or progression. Regression of lesions was seen mainly after treatment, whereas progression was associated with renal or extrarenal exacerbations of the disease. The absence of clinical improvement may reflect transformation to histologic forms which are unresponsive to therapy.

[Kawasaki's disease with thrombocytopenia]. / Maladie de Kawasaki avec thrombopénie.

A thrombocytopenia has been observed at the initial stage of a mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome in a 8 year-old patient; it appeared at the 5th day of the disease in another 11 year-old patient. This unusual and unexplained transitory thrombocytopenia led to delayed administration of intravenous gammaglobulins.

Effects of increase in body temperature on the breathing pattern in premature infants.

This study was designed to determine the effects of a mild increase in body temperature within the physiological range (0.8 degrees C) in healthy premature infants. Seven unsedated premature infants (38.4 wk +/- 1.5 postconceptional age) were monitored polygraphically during "morning naps" in an incubator under two different environmental temperatures: (1) normothermia with the incubator temperature set at 25 degrees C and the rectal temperature equal to 36.9 degrees C +/- 0.1; (2) hyperthermia with the incubator temperature set at 35 degrees C and the rectal temperature equal to 37.7 degrees C +/- 0.15. Respiratory frequency and heart rate, respiratory events, i.e., central and obstructive apnea, and periodic breathing with and without apneic oscillations were tabulated. Results for respiratory events were expressed as (1) indices of the total number of respiratory events, and of specific respiratory events per hour of total, quiet and active sleep times; (2) duration of total and specific respiratory events expressed as a percentage of total sleep, quiet and active sleep times. Respiratory frequency and heart rate were significantly increased by hyperthermia (P less than 0.05). Hyperthermia did not significantly modify the indices or the duration of central and obstructive apnea. But the indices and the duration of periodic breathing with and without apneic oscillations were significantly increased by hyperthermia during active sleep (P less than 0.05) but not during quiet sleep. The present study shows that a mild increase in body temperature within the physiological range in premature infants enhances the instability of the breathing pattern during active sleep.