Children's nutrient intake at preschool and at home.

UNLABELLED: A preschool-based dietary survey, using 7-d records, was carried out in a suburb of Stockholm. The aim was to assess the intake of food and the quality of the diet of preschool children aged 3-5 y at preschool and at home, and to compare the dietary intake with the Swedish dietary recommendations for preschool children. The respective mean intakes of protein, fat, carbohydrates and sucrose, expressed as a percentage of total energy intake were 14, 38, 50 and 9 at preschool, and at home 14, 36, 52 and 12 on weekdays, 14, 34, 55 and 16 on weekend days. The mean intakes of seven vitamins and minerals were low only for selenium as compared with the recommended level. No differences were found in nutrient density between diet at preschool and diet at home, with the exception of dietary fibre (higher at preschool). On weekdays there was a significantly higher nutrient density for calcium, zinc, selenium, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin C and dietary fibre compared with weekend days. CONCLUSION: The average intakes of energy and nutrients per meal at preschool compared with the recommended levels for children aged 4-6 y were low for all meals (breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack). This, however, was compensated for by home meals.

Pentastomiasis in Canada.

We report a case of human pentastomiasis in a 28-year-old man who emigrated to Canada from Nigeria in 1982 and died as a result of a motor vehicle accident in 1989. At autopsy, in addition to trauma, numerous small cystic nodules (3 to 9 mm in diameter) were discovered in the liver, pleura, lungs, and mesentery and under the intestinal and parietal peritoneum. The parasites were diagnosed as well-preserved, encysted Armillifer armillatus nymphs. Neither degenerative nor inflammatory granulomatous reactions were observed in the adjacent tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of human infection with encysted nymphs of A armillatus and the eighth reported case of pentastomiasis in North America.

Identification and successful treatment of congenital microfistulas with the aid of directional Doppler.

Hitherto unidentifiable and therefore untreatable congenital microfistulas were detected with the aid of continuous-wave directional Doppler and a fine-beam pencil probe. The microfistulas formed part of the Klippel-Trenaunay (K-T) syndrome. The management of one case is reported in detail and in three others salient features are touched upon. Careful clinical and radiological examination failed to demonstrate any arteriovenous microfistulas. When Doppler ultrasound scanning was carried out, two discrete fistulas were discovered. Their extent and direction were mapped out accurately. Incisions were made directly over the markings displaying a pulsating capillary tuft of vessels. Further dissection exposed a feeding arteriole which was less than 1 mm. in diameter. Excision of the vascular malformations resulted in the cure of the patient. In another patient with the K-T syndrome in whom a cutaneous hemangioma involved the whole lower limb, in spite of a thorough and systematic search with a Doppler, no microfistulas could be demonstrated. It is suggested that all patients suffering from the K-T syndrome should be examined by Doppler ultrasound in the hope that microfistulas which elude radiodiagnostic techniques might be detected and treated surgically.

Immunofluorescent staining of lung biopsy in fibrosing alveolitis.

There is a group of lung diseases, as yet of unknown cause, which are characterized by a pathologic picture of alveolar wall fibrosis with an intra-alveolar exudate containing large cells. A case is reported with this clinicopathological picture in which immunofluorescent studies of the biopsied lung tissue revealed no tissue-bound immunoglobulins, complement component (beta(1) C) or fibrinogen. The literature on the immunofluorescent studies of biopsied lung tissue in this group of lung diseases is reviewed. The reports are scant and varied, making it impossible to conclude that autoallergic mechanisms are solely responsible as the pathogenetic mechanism in this group of lung diseases.