An unusual cause of stridor in childhood due to focal epileptic seizures

Respiratory disorders with stridor are a frequent cause of admission for children in an emergency department. Laryngospasm, as an isolated symptom of epilepsy, is a rare phenomenon [1, 3, 5]. Other respiratory symptoms of epilepsy, rarely seen in childhood, might be apnoeic spells [2, 4]. We report on a child with laryngospasm due to focal epileptic seizures.     

Kartagener syndrome: An uncommon cause of neonatal respiratory distress?

We report a newborn with respiratory distress and situs inversus totalis. The diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia was confirmed by both ultrastructural and functional investigations. The immotile cilia syndrome was suspected because of respiratory distress, situs inversus, abnormal nasal discharge and hyperinflated chest X-ray. We suggest that ultrastructural and functional investigations of the respiratory mucosa should be done in any newborn with respiratory distress without explanation for the respiratory problems. Establishment of the correct diagnosis at an early stage may allow to improve the prognosis provided prophylactic physiotherapy, vaccinations, and aggressive antibiotic treatment of intercurrent respiratory infections are instituted.Conclusion Despite its rarity, primany ciliary dyskinesia should be considered in unexplained cases of neonatal distress     

Acquired facial palsy with hypertension secondary to Guillain–Barre syndrome

Most cases of facial nerve paresis are idiopathic (Bell's palsy). However, rare and potentially dangerous conditions may present in this manner. We report 2 children presenting with unilateral lower motor neuron facial nerve palsy and hypertension. A diagnosis of Guillain‐Barre syndrome was made in both; literature linking facial nerve palsy in childhood with hypertension and Guillain‐Barre syndrome is reviewed.     

Pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy: an under-recognised cause of intractable seizures

Pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy (PDE) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder causing intractable seizures in neonates and infants. PDE patients are typically resistant to anti-epileptic treatment but respond to the administration of pyridoxine. Different seizure types have been reported in PDE, and episodes of status epilepticus are common. Electroencephalographic or neuroimaging abnormalities are not pathognomonic for this disorder. Intellectual disability is frequent at the follow-up. Recently, elevated urinary α-aminoadipic semialdehyde has been shown to be a reliable biomarker of this disorder, and mutations in the ALDH7A1 gene, encoding α-aminoadipic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, have been demonstrated in the large majority of PDE patients. However, early consideration of a pyridoxine trial remains the most important issue in a neonate or in an infant with intractable early onset seizures.     

Insights into 6q21‐q22: Refinement of the critical region for acro‐cardio‐facial syndrome

Deletions on chromosome 6q are rarely reported in the literature, and genotype‐phenotype correlations are poorly understood. We report a child with a deletion of the 6q21‐q22 chromosomal region, providing some intriguing results about the correlation between this region and acro‐cardio‐facial syndrome, congenital heart disease, split hand and foot malformation, and epilepsy.     

Further delineation of 9q22 deletion syndrome associated with basal cell nevus (Gorlin) syndrome: Report of two cases and review of the literature

Basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS; Gorlin syndrome) is an autosomal dominant disorder, characterized by a predisposition to neoplasms and developmental abnormalities. BCNS is caused by mutations in the human homolog of the Drosophila patched gene-1, PTCH1 , which is mapped on chromosome 9q22.3. Nonsense, frameshift, in-frame deletions, splice-site, and missense mutations have been found in the syndrome. Haploinsufficiency of PTCH1 , which is caused by interstitial deletion of 9q22.3, is also responsible for the syndrome. To date, 19 cases with interstitial deletion of long arm of chromosome 9 involving the region of q22 have been reported. We describe two unrelated patients with some typical features of BCNS associated with deletion of 9q21.33-q31.1 and determined the boundary of the deletion by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones. The results showed that the size of deletions is between 15.33 and 16.04 Mb in patient 1 and between 18.08 and 18.54 Mb in patient 2. Although the size and breakpoints were different from those of previously reported cases, the clinical features are common to patients with 9q22 deletion associated with BCNS. Delineation of the 9q22 deletions and further consideration of the genes responsible for the characteristic manifestations may provide insight into this newly recognized deletion syndrome.     

An unusual cause of gastric perforation in childhood: trichobezoar (Rapunzel syndrome). A case report

Trichobezoars are hair balls found in the stomach and formed following trichitillomania and trichopaghia. Rapunzel syndrome is a rare condition in which the presence of giant trichobezoars causes mechanical obstruction. To date, only two cases of stomach perforation caused by trichobezoars have been reported among pediatric patients. We report a 14-year-old female patient who experienced nausea, vomiting and severe abdominal pain for 1 month. Physical examination revealed diffuse abdominal distension. Palpation detected a mobile and sensitive mass, 15 × 15 cm , which filled the upper quadrant. Urgent surgery revealed that the stomach was perforated by the trichobezoar ball. This trichobezoar mass was totally excised by expanding the perforation area. Conclusion This is the reported third case of gastric perforation caused by trichobezoar in a pediatric patient. Among acute abdominal cases, gastric perforation should remain a possibility in differential diagnosis.     

Homer's syndrome: An unusual presentation of Hodgkin's disease

Horner's Syndrome (ptosis, anisocoria, and anhydrosis) developed in a 22-year-old woman. A mediastinal mass was noted on chest x-ray. Further evaluation led to a diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease, nodular sclerosis type. Horner's syndrome is an unusual initial manifestation of Hodgkin's disease, and, in this case, it was due to oculosympathetic damage from mediastinal compression. Because the potential for cure is high in Hodgkin's disease, this diagnosis should be considered in patients presenting with Horner's syndrome.     

Solitary rectal ulcer: An unusual cause of rectal bleeding in children

The solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) is a disease which is commonly diagnosed in adults but only rarely described in children. Rectal prolapse and intussusception are frequently associated with this entity. A relationship between SRUS and chronic constipation due to spastic pelvic floor syndrome (SPFS) is often observed. Thus biofeedback defaecation training is an efficient treatment of both conditions. We describe two paediatric patients suffering from SRUS associated with SPFS who showed complete recovery after biofeedback defaecation training.     

Report and review of described associations of Mayer‐Rokitansky‐Küster‐Hauser syndrome and Silver–Russell syndrome

Silver–Russell syndrome (SRS) and Mayer‐Rokitansky‐Küster‐Hauser (MRKH) syndrome are described in isolation. However, their co‐occurrence has only been rarely reported. Here, we present a case report of an adolescent with SRS who was diagnosed with MRKH during the evaluation of primary amenorrhoea. Multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification analysis showed a normal methylation pattern and normal dosage at 11p15.5. A PubMed search for all peer‐reviewed publications (original articles and reviews) using the key words Silver–Russell syndrome, Mayer‐Rokitansky‐Küster‐Hauser syndrome, genetics, hypomethylation and reproductive anomalies identified three cases of SRS with MRKH, two of which were associated with significant hypomethylation of the H19 imprinting control region of the 11p15.5 locus. This report highlights the association between SRS and MRKH. The absence of hypomethylation and normal dosage at 11p15.5 suggests these two rare entities share alternative aetiopathogenic mechanisms.     

Medical and developmental impact of transition from subcutaneous insulin to oral glyburide in a 15‐yr‐old boy with neonatal diabetes mellitus and intermediate DEND syndrome: extending the age of KCNJ11 mutation testing in neonatal DM

Mohamadi A, Clark LM, Lipkin PH, Mahone EM, Wodka EL, Plotnick LP. Medical and developmental impact of transition from subcutaneous insulin to oral glyburide in a 15‐yr‐old boy with neonatal diabetes mellitus and intermediate DEND syndrome: extending the age of KCNJ11 mutation testing in neonatal DM. Mutations in the KCNJ11 gene, which encodes the Kir6.2 subunit of the ATP‐sensitive potassium channel, often result in neonatal diabetes. Patients with this mutation have been successfully transitioned from insulin to sulfonylurea (SU) therapy without compromise in their glycemic control. Among patients with neonatal diabetes due to KCNJ11 mutations, approximately 25% have neurological findings including developmental delay, motor dysfunction, and epilepsy, known as DEND syndrome. There have been rare cases of juvenile patients with intermediate DEND syndrome (iDEND) reporting variable improvement in neurological function following transition from insulin to SU treatment. We describe the response to glyburide in a 15‐yr‐old boy with severe global developmental delays resulting from the KCNJ11 mutation V59M. The patient was discovered to have diabetes mellitus at 11.5 months of age, making this the oldest age at diagnosis of a KCNJ11 mutation‐related case of neonatal diabetes. Because consensus has been to screen patients for this mutation only if younger than 6 months at the time of diagnosis, we suggest that all patients under the age of 12 months at diagnosis should receive genetic testing for monogenic causes of diabetes.     

Sub‐acute neonatal hemochromatosis in an infant with hypoplastic left heart syndrome on ventricular assist device awaiting transplantation

Single‐ventricle pediatric patients, amongst other children waiting for OHT, are a vulnerable population, especially if candidacy is established before any palliation. NH is a rare disease with poor prognosis in the post‐natal period. We present a case of sub‐acute NH diagnosed in an infant with HLHS who was listed for OHT while bridged with a pulsatile paracorporeal VAD, with an emphasis on the evolution of the condition throughout the patient's clinical course and the ultimate decision for compassionate deactivation of VAD.     

WASP–WIP complex in the molecular pathogenesis of Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome

Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is an X‐linked primary immunodeficiency disease characterized by recurrent infection, thrombocytopenia, and eczema. The gene responsible for X‐linked WAS encodes the Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP), which is expressed in hematopoietic cells and which regulates T‐cell activation and cytoskeletal reorganization in T‐cell receptor (TCR) signaling. Here, I review my recent research on WASP and the WASP‐interacting protein (WIP) complex in T cells. I and my colleagues first established a diagnostic screening method using flow cytometry and genetic analysis, and elucidated the molecular pathogenesis in WAS patients with unique clinical manifestations. We investigated the mechanisms by which WASP is recruited to lipid rafts following TCR stimulation and to immunological synapses between antigen‐presenting cells and T cells. Subsequently, we elucidated the molecular mechanisms by which WASP is degraded by calpain and ubiquitinated by Cbl‐family proteins, which terminate WASP activation. More importantly, we found that WIP plays a critical role in WASP stability in T cells. These results provide new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of X‐linked WAS and have facilitated the identification of WIP deficiency as an autosomal recessive form of WAS.     

西罗莫司治疗儿童蓝色橡皮疱痣综合征2例并文献复习

为探讨口服西罗莫司治疗儿童胃肠道蓝色橡皮疱痣综合征（BRBNS）的疗效,该文回顾性分析了2例BRBNS患儿的临床资料和使用西罗莫司治疗的随访结果。2例伴有消化道出血和贫血的BRBNS患儿,给予口服西罗莫司（初始剂量为1 mg/d）作为治疗方案的一部分,维持血药浓度在2.5~12.0 ng/mL之间,患儿消化道出血消失,贫血和凝血功能改善,治疗期间可停止输血且无明显药物不良反应。在PubMed、万方数据库、中国知网搜索西罗莫司治疗BRBNS的相关文献进行总结。检索文献结果显示,年龄为0~18岁的BRBNS儿童病例共检索出26例,加上该研究中报道的2例,共28例使用西罗莫司治疗均取得满意疗效。西罗莫司在儿童BRBNS患者的治疗中可能是有效和安全的,有待进一步的前瞻性研究来评估这种药物的长期疗效。