Search Results (5)

Background: Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA), also known as hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type IV (HSAN IV), is an exceedingly rare genetic disorder characterized by the inability to perceive pain, inability to sweat, and various neurological and orthopaedic complications. Case Presentation: This is a case report of a 3-year-old female patient as the first case in Latvia diagnosed with CIPA syndrome who repeatedly presented to Children’s Clinical University Hospital (CCUH) in Riga, Latvia, with severe orthopaedic manifestations. The patient had repeated fractures, several surgeries, and extensive spread of the disease throughout the left leg, which caused significant functional impairment and decreased quality of life. Despite aggressive orthopaedic interventions, including surgical interventions and physical therapy, the patient’s condition remained challenging to manage due to the inherent limitations posed by the insensitivity to pain. The Surgeon–Radiologist Council of Doctors discussed the patient’s condition and clinical sequalae, deciding that reconstructive surgery is not feasible, and amputation is recommended. Conclusions: Through this case report, we aim to highlight the unique orthopaedic challenges encountered in the management of CIPA patients, emphasizing the importance of a multidisciplinary approach involving orthopaedic surgeons, paediatricians, geneticists, and physiotherapists. Additionally, we discuss the need for further research to elucidate optimal management strategies and improve outcomes in this rare and complex patient population. Full article

Background and Objectives. The aim of this study is to determine the prevailing microbiota in samples from pediatric patients with acute appendicitis, as well as evaluate the antibacterial sensitivity of the isolated microorganisms, comparing the data obtained with the clinic’s antibacterial therapy guidelines. Materials and Methods. The study group consisted of 93 patients between the ages of 7 and 18. All patients underwent a laparoscopic or conventional appendectomy. The children were hospitalized with signs and symptoms suggestive of acute appendicitis. Microbiological cultures from the appendix and abdominal cavity were collected intraoperatively. Results. E. coli was identified in most cases irrespective of the clinical presentation of acute appendicitis. Most strains were susceptible to ampicillin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Five strains of E. coli produced extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL). Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) was the second most commonly isolated causative agent. Furthermore, it was common in cases of acute complex appendicitis. Most strains of P. aeruginosa were resistant to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, ertapenem, ampicillin and cefotaxime, yet were susceptible to ceftazidime. Regardless of the clinical presentation, the samples yielded mixed isolates. Conclusion. E. coli is the main causative agent of acute appendicitis in the pediatric population displaying susceptibility to various antibiotics. P. aeruginosa was more prevalent in cases of acute complex appendicitis. P. aeruginosa isolates were susceptible to ceftazidime; however, they were resistant to cefotaxime, which should, therefore, be removed from guidelines for empirical antibacterial treatment of acute appendicitis due to phenotypic resistance of P. aeruginosa. We recommend antibiotics with distinct implementation to avoid antibiotic resistance. Full article

This case series study consists of six children, aged 5–16 years, admitted to a centralized tertiary paediatric hospital serving a population of 1.9 million with acute appendicitis in the setting of SARS-CoV-2 infection. From the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 until August 2021, 121 COVID-19-positive children were admitted to the hospital. A total of 49 (40.5%) of these patients presented with gastrointestinal symptoms, of which six were diagnosed with acute appendicitis. Five underwent an appendectomy, while one was treated conservatively. To date, it has been reported that appendicitis may have a plausible association with SARS-CoV-2 infection in children. With COVID-19 cases rising, every medical specialist, including all paediatric surgeons, must be ready to treat common acute diseases with SARS-CoV-2 infection as a comorbidity. Providers should consider testing for this infection in paediatric patients with severe gastrointestinal symptoms. Non-surgical treatment of acute appendicitis in children may gain new importance during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Further studies are needed to prove the link of causality between COVID-19 and acute appendicitis in children. Full article

Purpose: This prospective, single-center cohort study analyzes the potential of inflammatory protein mediator leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) for the early and accurate diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA), and differentiation of acute complicated (AcA) from uncomplicated appendicitis (AuA). Methods: Participants were divided into the AcA, AuA, and control groups, and their serum (s-LRG1) and urine LRG1 (u-LRG1) levels were assayed preoperatively on the second and fifth postoperative days. Results: 153 patients participated, 97 had AA. Preoperative u-LRG1 with a cut-off value of 0.18 μg/mL generated an area under the receiver operated characteristic (AUC) curve of 0.70 (95% CI 0.62–0.79) for AA versus control (p < 0.001), while the results for AcA versus AuA were not significant (AUC 0.60, 95% CI 0.49–0.71, p = 0.089). The s-LRG1 levels of AA versus the control with a cut-off value of 51.69 μg/mL generated an AUC of 0.94 (95% CI 0.91–0.99, p < 0.001). The cut-off value of s-LRG1 was 84.06 μg/mL for diagnosis of AcA from AuA, and therefore, significant (AUC 0.69, 95% CI 0.59–0.80, p = 0.001). Conclusions: LRG1 exhibited excellent diagnostic performance as an inexpensive, non-invasive, rapid, and accurate biomarker able to reflect the pathogenesis of AA. LRG1 has the potential to replace advanced imaging to diagnose clinically ambiguous AA cases. Full article

Background and objective: There is a high incidence of childhood tuberculosis in Latvia, including children aged less than 1 year, while BCG-associated lymphadenitis is one of the most frequent adverse events requiring surgical treatment. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of purulent BCG adenitis through-out the population of Latvia after the introduction of BCG-SSI^® vaccine and to evaluate the treatment results.
Material and methods: The study included 194 patients. All patients had received the BCGSSI ^® vaccine during the first week of life routinely or at a later time according to the indications. The indications for surgical treatment were lymph node destruction also affecting the skin. All patients in this study received surgical treatment – the affected lymph node extirpation.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 5.12 0.96 months. A total of 172 patients had purulent axillar lymphadenitis, 14 had purulent supraclavicular lymphadenitis, 8 patients had lymphadenitis at both localizations. During the whole study period the incidence of BCG adenitis varied from 0.02% to 0.36%, while the mean rate was 0.11% 0.08% from 184,068 vaccinated children during the study period. We observed an increasing trend in the incidence of BCG lymphadenitis during the study period. The primary and complete healing rate at the end of period was 99.5% (n = 193) following an affected lymph node extirpation. The mean hospitalization time after the operation was 3.71 0.18 days.
Conclusions: The incidence of BCG-SSI^® vaccine associated purulent lymphadenitis varied widely with an increasing trend, followed by the return to the product characteristic limits. Indications for the surgical treatment should not be changed. Extirpation of the purulent BCG adenitis is a safe treatment method and leads to the primary wound healing in the majority of cases. Full article