Fine-needle aspiration cytology of pancreatoblastoma in a young woman: report of a case and review of the literature

Pancreatoblastoma is a rare tumor and has been reported only four times in the cytologic literature, three times in fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy and once in an imprint of resected tumor. We are reporting the fourth case of FNA cytology with immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies. The patient is a 24-yr-old African American woman, who presented with a pancreatic mass, hepatic masses, and abdominal lymphadenopathy. The aspiration smears of the liver mass showed a biphasic tumor composed of bland-appearing primitive spindled stromal fragments with "spider-web"-like long fibrils interconnecting with sharply angulated islands of cohesive epithelium. At high power, the epithelium is composed of medium-sized cells with round-to-oval vesicular nuclei with fine chromatin and one-to-two small nucleoli. The neuroendocrine component was demonstrated immunohistochemically with synaptophysin and chromogranin expressions. The acinar component and squamoid component were demonstrated ultrastructurally by the presence of 400-600 nm zymogen granules and tonofilaments. The literature was reviewed and the cytological features of all the four cases of pancreatoblastoma are summarized.     

Detection of bloodstream pathogens in a bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-vaccinated pediatric population in Malawi: a pilot study

Children in Malawi receive bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination within the first 3 days of life. Thus, we hypothesized that Malawian children infected with the human immunodeficiency type 1 virus (HIV-1) might be particularly vulnerable to dissemination of the BCG Mycobacterium bovis strain with which they were vaccinated. Following informed consent by parents, we studied children admitted to a Malawi general hospital during the 1998 wet and dry seasons. Blood from cohorts of acutely ill children was cultured for bacteria, including mycobacteria, and fungi, and tested for anti-HIV-1 antibodies. It was shown that non- typhi Salmonella and Escherichia coli were the predominant bloodstream pathogens during the wet and dry seasons, and that bloodstream dissemination of the BCG M. bovis strain is uncommon in HIV-1-infected children who receive the BCG vaccine.     

Behavioral Upset in Medical Patients-Revised: Evaluation of a Parent Report Measure of Distress for Pediatric Populations

Examined the utility of a new parent-report measure designedspecifically for pediatric inpatients, the Behavioral Upsetin Medical Patients-Revised (BUMP-R). The BUMP-R was administeredto 151 mothers of hospitalized children ages 4–12 yearsthe day following the child's hospital admission. The BUMP-Rdemonstrated good internal consistency and a factor analysisrevealed four factors identified as negativity/agitation, amiability,dysphoria, and noncom-pliance. Children exhibiting behavioraldistress at home were more likely to experience adjustment problemsupon hospitalization. Demographic and illness-related variableswere not substantial risk factors for hospital adjustment difficulties.     

A multimethod assessment of behavioral and emotional adjustment in children with asthma

OBJECTIVE: Examine behavioral adjustment and emotion regulation among 6-year-old children with asthma and a group of healthy controls. METHOD: Subjects were 81 children with asthma and 22 healthy controls. Asthma and allergy statuses were confirmed by objective measures. Emotional and behavioral functioning were assessed through parent report, child interview, and child participation in an emotional regulation paradigm. RESULTS: Maternal report revealed more internalizing and total behavior problems for children with asthma compared to controls. Child interview and behavioral observations of emotion regulation yielded no differences between groups. Severity of asthma was related to increased emotional difficulties by clinician interview and observation but not by maternal report. CONCLUSIONS: Two groups of children with asthma who have psychological difficulties include those with increased anxiety and those with poor emotion regulation and more asthma symptoms. Different measures of child adjustment yield a complex picture of the behavioral difficulties associated with pediatric asthma.     

Expression of TNFalpha by muscle fibers in biopsies from children with untreated juvenile dermatomyositis: association with the TNFalpha-308A allele

Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is the most common pediatric inflammatory myopathy. In patients with JDM, the A --> G polymorphism in the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha)-308 promoter region (TNFalpha-308A) is associated with prolonged disease course and increased production of TNFalpha by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (Arthritis Rheum. 43, 2368-2377, 2000). Magnetic resonance imaging directed biopsies from 21 white children with untreated JDM were evaluated for TNFalpha expression. Using monoclonal antibody to TNFalpha, fresh frozen sections were processed by the standard immunohistochemical technique. We investigated the association among the expression of TNFalpha by muscle fibers, disease activity, duration of untreated disease, and the TNFalpha-308 polymorphism. Untreated children with JDM who had the TNFalpha-308A allele had an increased number of TNFalpha stained muscle fibers than children with the TNFalpha-308G allele (P = 0.001). There was no association with disease activity or duration of untreated disease. We speculate that muscle fiber production of TNFalpha provides a microenvironment in which TNFalpha acts synergistically with other mediators to prolong muscle fiber damage.     

Microbiology of subgingival plaque from children with localized prepubertal periodontitis

Localized prepubertal periodontitis has been described as a host-defect mediated form of bacterially induced periodontitis, with an early onset and rapid progression around a few teeth in children prior to puberty. To further our understanding of the etiology of this disease, we have examined the microbiological components of subgingival dental plaque in 9 children with localized prepubertal periodontitis to determine if patterns of putative pathogens existed, and have compared these results with those obtained from 4 children with no periodontitis. Subgingival plaque samples were plated onto a selective medium for Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and onto a non-selective medium for anaerobes, and the predominant cultivable microbiota of 2 sites per child was determined. The subgingival microbiota of children with localized prepubertal periodontitis clearly differs from non-diseased children in the detection of high levels of several suspected pathogens, including A. actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides intermedius, Eikenella corrodens, and Capnocytophaga sputigena. These putative pathogens were found in various combinations. These findings suggest that localized prepubertal periodontitis is associated with specific subgingival bacteria which are generally not found in children without periodontitis.     

重庆市某三甲医院消毒供应中心纯化水细菌污染情况和消毒效果调查

目的了解重庆市某三甲医院消毒供应中心(CSSD)纯化水处理系统的细菌水平、消毒方法及效果。方法运用无菌技术采集重庆市某三甲医院CSSD不同时期的纯化水进行细菌培养,根据细菌培养、余氯、硬度检测结果对纯化水处理系统采取一系列措施以改善水质,并对各项措施的实施效果进行评价。结果该院CSSD纯化水存在细菌总数超标的情况,分别经过调整加盐量、更换水处理机耗材、安装含氯消毒剂加药装置并在水处理机制水时将5%84消毒液持续低流量泵入纯化水储水罐后,细菌总数明显降低,纯化水水质达标。结论该院纯化水存在细菌污染现象,医院应加强管理,CSSD需按时维护水处理设备,定期监测水质。     

腹腔镜手术与传统手术治疗小儿腹股沟斜疝

目的探析腹腔镜与传统手术治疗小儿腹股沟斜疝的临床效果。方法集合本院2016年1月-2019年9月期间接收小儿腹股沟斜疝(年龄<13周岁)234例,以实际治疗术式来分组,传统手术组201例,腹腔镜组33例,对比组行传统手术,腹腔镜组予以腹腔镜手术治疗,对比两组术中失血量、住院时间、初次下床活动时间、术后禁食时长、治疗费用,统计术后并发症并行组间对比。结果此次研究显示腹腔镜组术中失血量更少、术后禁食时长及初次下床活动时间更短(P<0.05),住院时间及、治疗费用组间对照中,腹腔镜组住院时间显著更短但治疗费用显著更高(P<0.05),术后并发症统计显示,腹腔镜组并发症发生率显著更低(P<0.05)。结论在小儿腹股沟斜疝治疗中腹腔镜手术虽费用较高,但患儿术后并发症更少,恢复更快,可优先选用。