Pédiatrie
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Meningeal penetration of bacteria induces an inflammatory response which affects mainly the endothelium of cerebral vessels. This inflammatory reaction is directly responsible for thrombosis and indirectly creates cerebral oedema and reduced cerebral blood flow. ⋯ Nowadays, control of cerebral oedema is the main goal of intensive care treatment of meningitis that needs invasive monitoring of intracranial pressure. We may hope that in a next future new therapeutic agents will be able to control inflammatory reaction and vascular process.
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A 24 months retrospective study was carried out to investigate 133 patients with an unexpected cardiorespiratory arrest (CRA). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was undertaken in all cases. 96 patients suffered CRA outside of hospital, 11 patients in the wards of the hospital, and 26 in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). ⋯ The best results were obtained in patients with an CRA in the PICU. The results of this study suggest that survival among resuscitated children is not better than that among adults, but can be improved with early recognition and monitoring of children at risk.
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To determine the importance of intracranial hypertension in central nervous system acute infections, we studied intracranial pressure (ICP) in 27 patients, aged 45 days to 13 years. Fourteen had meningitis and 13 had encephalitis; all were in deep coma with a Glasgow Coma Scale 7 or less. Intracranial hypertension defined by a mean ICP above 15 mm Hg was observed in 12 patients with meningitis (86%) and in 9 with encephalitis (69%). ⋯ A striking difference is noted between survivors and non-survivors who had a very high maximal ICP with a severe reduction in cerebral perfusion pressure. Intracranial hypertension occurred in all patients with acute primitive encephalitis but only in 3/7 patients with post-infectious encephalitis. ICP monitoring seems to be important in the comatose forms of bacterial meningitis in the early period, herpes encephalitis and postinfectious encephalitis with severe status epilepticus.
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Case Reports
[Diagnostic and therapeutic strategy of bilateral nephroblastoma (apropos of 4 cases)].
Four cases of bilateral nephroblastoma out of a total number of 99 cases have been observed during a period of 18 years at the INSE of Tunis (4%). The frequency of associated anomalies, the familial incidence, the young age of the patients are underlined. The main therapeutic modalities are discussed. Based on the most recent studies published in the literature, the prognosis of bilateral nephroblastoma has been improved in recent years with a possibility of survival at 2 years exceeding two thirds of the cases.
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A familial observation of hypophosphatemic rickets with unusual inheritance and evolution, different from that of X linked hypophosphatemia, is reported. The mode of inheritance was autosomal dominant, a father and his son being affected. Severe early signs of rickets and delayed growth were present in both cases. ⋯ Complete cure of rickets and catch-up growth were obtained with the only treatment of vitamin D (40,000 U/day) in the father and of 1 alpha hydroxyvitamin D (1 microgram/day) in the son. This observation is quite similar to the 'autosomal hypophosphatemic bone disease' described by Scriver et al. It illustrates the heterogeneity of familial hypophosphatemia which presently includes 4 different physiopathological entities.