Renal transplantation and osteoporosis

A cross sectional study assessed the bone mineral density (BMD) of 20 young adult patients who received a renal transplantation in childhood. The BMD of the lumbar spine, mainly trabecular bone, and of the total body, mainly cortical bone, were measured and expressed as an SD score. Fourteen patients (70%) had a BMD SD score of the lumbar spine below -1, of whom six patients were below -2. Fifteen patients (75%) had a BMD SD score of the total body below -1, of whom seven patients were below -2, Both trabecular and cortical bone appeared to be involved in the osteopenic process. The cumulative dose of prednisone was inversely correlated to both lumbar spine and total body BMD SD score. In a multiple regression analysis the cumulative dose of prednisone appeared to be the only factor with a significant effect on BMD SD score. Most young adult patients who had received a renal transplantation in childhood had moderate to severe osteopenia. Corticosteroid treatment played a major part in the development of osteopenia in these patients.     

Reversible findings of restricted diffusion in 5‐flourouracil neurotoxicity

A 35‐year‐old woman presented with neurotoxicity correlated to an i.v. regimen of 5‐fluorouracil as episodes of acute confusional state and abnormalities of symmetrically restricted diffusion in the periventricular white matter and corpus callosum. On discontinuing the medication, the areas of severely restricted diffusion had entirely resolved, with minimal residual T2 signal abnormality. In this case, immediate discontinuation of the chemotherapeutic agent apparently reversed the patient's symptoms and findings on MRI. The scant information available in the published literature regarding this phenomenon is reviewed with regard to 5‐fluorouracil.     

在非裔美国人中用1％吡美莫司软膏治疗伴色素减退的脂溢性皮炎的先导性试验

背景:非裔美国人发生脂溢性皮炎时可伴色素减退。治疗通常应用皮质激素和抗真菌药,然而长期使用皮质激素可导致皮肤萎缩,眼内压增高,或加重色素减退。吡美莫司已被成功用于治疗一些脂溢性皮炎患者。目的:此开放性预试验用于评估吡美莫司治疗非裔美国人中伴色素减退的脂溢性皮炎     

Prevalence and impact of chronic childhood conditions in Auckland, New Zealand

Objective : To establish the prevalence of specific chronic conditions of childhood in the Auckland area and to quantify resource use by these children.
Methodology : Estimates were made from available registry data and published data sources of the population of children with selected chronic conditions resident in the Auckland Area Health Board area. Resource use data were extracted for admissions to Auckland public hospitals and from providers of community based technology services.
Results : The largest community prevalence groups are those with asthma, intellectual handicap, congenital heart disease and epilepsy. Children aged 0-14 with chronic conditions accounted for at least 14340 hospital days stay in Auckland in 1992 at an estimated minimum cost of $7.9 million. Over 200 children are dependent on technological aids at home.
Conclusions : There are sparse data on the numbers and needs of children with chronic conditions in the population. A non-categorical approach which crosses disease entities may be the best method of meeting common needs.     

The potential effect of the UK 1990 height centile charts on community growth surveillance

The UK 1990 height charts are derived from an up to date dataset and introduce a change in the centile lines, particularly the addition of the 0.4th centile. This study examined the likely impact of these changes. Height data from London school children (1990-1993) were examined using Tanner and Whitehouse (TW) and UK 1990 charts. Numbers of children with height below TW 3rd centile were compared with numbers below the UK 1990 3rd and 0.4th centiles. The TW charts identified only 1% of children below the TW 3rd centile, while the UK 1990 charts identified 3% below the 3rd and 0.4% below the 0.4th centiles. If the 3rd centile remains as the referral 'cut off' for short stature, the introduction of the UK 1990 charts would increase current workload two- to three-fold, while a change to the 0.4th centile would reduce it by 50%. A significant number of children with abnormalities may be excluded from further assessment as a result of this latter change. In this small scale community study it is not possible to assess the consequences of this change. The heights at diagnosis of children with growth hormone (GH) deficiency (peak GH < 20 mU/l during a standard provocation test) were therefore compared to the 0.4th centile (UK 1990 charts). Sixty eight children with heights < 2nd centile (UK 1990 charts) currently receiving GH replacement (17 female, 51 male, aged 9.7, SD 3.5, years) were assessed, and of these, 28 (41%) had heights at diagnosis between 0.4th and 2nd centile, with a mean height standard deviation score of -2.32 (SD 0.21). This suggests that if the 0.4th centile were to be used as the sole criterion for referral for slow growth, a significant proportion of children with abnormality would not be referred for further assessment. The UK 1990 2nd centile should replace the TW 3rd centile. Children below this should undergo an intermediary medical assessment to confirm height measurement, to exclude from referral children with mild familial short stature and to identify concerns regarding the child.     

Cocaine use in pregnancy in Amsterdam

To study the effects of cocaine use in pregnancy in Amsterdam, clinical data on cocaine-using pregnant women ( n = 21) and their offspring ( n = 23) were obtained retrospectively (1987–1994) at the Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam. Infants exposed to cocaine had a median gestational age of 39 weeks and a median birth weight of 3090 g. There were six preterm infants, two small-for-gestational-age infants and five infants with a small head circumference. Three infants had a congenital malformation. One infant (Potter's syndrome) died shortly before birth. One infant had congenital syphilis, four had intracerebral abnormalities on ultrasound and four had abnormal neurologic symptoms in the neonatal period. One infant died after 21 days of life. At follow-up four infants showed abnormal development. In 12 of the 23 infants (52%), one or more possible effects of cocaine were found.