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Biomedical subjects

P Bugmann

Publications and source records attributed to P Bugmann.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Etiology and management of pediatric chylothorax.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence and etiology of chylothorax and to assess our therapeutic management approach. STUDY DESIGN: We reviewed 51 patients diagnosed with chylothorax over a 12-year period. Cause, interval between operation and diagnosis, duration of chylothorax, and total volume loss per weight were recorded. RESULTS: Chylothorax was diagnosed in 46 children after cardiothoracic surgery, giving an incidence of 2.5% (46/1842); in 1 child chylothorax occurred after chest trauma, and in 4 the chylothorax was congenital or a manifestation of lymph angiomatosis. Three etiologic groups were identified: group 1, direct injury to the thoracic duct (33/51 = 65%); group 2, thrombosis and/or high venous pressure in the superior vena cava (14/51 = 27%); and group 3, congenital (4/51 = 8%). Conservative treatment was the only treatment in 80% of the patients. Surgical procedures consisted of 4 ligations of the thoracic duct, placement of 7 pleurodesis shunts, and placement of 2 pleuroperitoneal shunts. Patients in groups 2 and 3 were at higher risk for failure of conservative treatment (P <. 005). Longer duration of chylothorax and higher volume of drainage were present in group 2 compared with group 1 (P <.01). CONCLUSION: Conservative treatment was successful in 80% of the patients with our management approach. Prevention, early recognition, and treatment of potential complications, such as superior vena cava thrombosis or obstruction, may further improve success of conservative treatment. Congenital chylothorax seems different and may require a specific approach.

Angiomatosis↗

Nephrogenic adenoma of the bladder: ultrasound demonstration. A case report.

A 4-year-old girl developed a space-occupying lesion in the bladder. This was demonstrated by US after resection of a huge ureterocoele and bilateral re-implantation of ureters at 3 months of age and after three episodes of urinary tract infection. The mass developed outside the field of surgery and was removed endoscopically. Histology revealed a nephrogenic adenoma. US findings have not been emphasised previously. US should be useful in the detection of such lesions and for surveillance of recurrence.

Adenoma↗

Magnetic resonance imaging helps in the early diagnosis of myositis ossificans in children.

Two cases on myositis ossificans circumscripta (MOC) in the arm are reported. Plain X-ray films and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed in both cases. In the first, an intramuscular tumor-like mass without calcifications was found on MRI with soft-tissue edema extension. In the second, MRI disclosed additional bone-marrow edema. The diagnosis of MOC was confirmed by biopsy in one case and by follow-up in the other. MOC is a benign soft-tissue lesion that is rare in children, with an acute course and usually spontaneously favorable evolution. The differential diagnosis from an infection or a malignant tumor remains difficult. The best imaging modalities are conventional radiography and MRI. The MRI patterns of MOC are typical but not pathognomonic; typical MRI findings in conjunction with clinical symptoms during the early phase of MOC permit the postponement of a biopsy or aggressive surgical procedures. Surgery is indicated for cases not showing typical MOC calcifications at a later stage.

Adolescent↗

Reliability of color Doppler and power Doppler sonography in the evaluation of intussuscepted bowel viability.

In two similar cases of irreducible intussusception with wall necrosis and perforation, symptoms had begun 24 h before admission and the plain radiographs showed signs of small-bowel obstruction. The sonographic (US) appearances, however, were different: color Doppler (CD) US showed vascular flow in the intussuscepted bowel in one case and no flow in the other. After radio-clinical assessment, both children underwent surgery and an intestinal resection had to be performed, manual reduction being impossible. The reliability of the US findings and the prognostic value of CD and power Doppler US in determining the viability of the intussuscepted bowel are discussed with a review of the literature.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗

A silicone-coated nylon dressing reduces healing time in burned paediatric patients in comparison with standard sulfadiazine treatment: a prospective randomized trial.

Mepitel is a new grid like silicone coated nylon dressing containing no additional biological compounds. We describe a prospective randomized pilot study comparing Mepitel to the standard silver sulfadiazine cream (Flamazine) dressing for the topical treatment of paediatric burns. Seventy-six children presenting within 24 h of injury with a non previously treated burn were randomly assigned to Mepitel treatment (group M) or Flamazine treatment (group F). Age, sex, surface area of burn and causal agent were noted at admission. The depth of the burn, cumulative number of dressings, presence or absence of a complete epithelial cover, infection, bleeding and allergy were noted at each dressing change. There were 41 children in group M and 35 children in group F. Five children were subsequently withdrawn from each group because they required skin grafting. Analysis of the above mentioned criteria showed no statistical difference between the two groups except for the healing time (group M: 7.58+/-3.12, group F: 11.26+/-6.02, p < 0.01) and the number of dressings (group M: 3.64+/-1.5, group F: 5.13+/-2.9, p < 0.05). Mepitel has proved to be an easy-to-remove dressing, adhering only to intact skin. The faster healing time found in the Mepitel group may be related to a direct effect of silicone on epithelial growth or to a decrease in surface-cell damage compared to the silver sulfadiazine group. This attractive product will be further assessed on a larger scale trial to confirm our observations.

Adolescent↗

Monosegmental liver transplantation from an adult to an infant.

A shortage of small pediatric organ donors has led to the development of reduced size liver transplantation in children. However, the discrepancy between donor and recipient weight can limit the use of this procedure despite transplantation of the left lobe only. Monosegmental liver transplantation using segment III only was recently described. We report here the case of an 11 month old, 6.9 kg boy who received another monosegmental graft (segment II) from a 78 kg donor on an urgent basis. Because of the lack of parenchymal landmarks between segments II and III, sterile methylene blue solution was injected into the portal vein of segment III: parenchyma of this segment colored immediately and was resected accordingly. Three and a half years later, the growth, development, and nutrition of this child were normal. This procedure seems to be helpful when the left lobe of the graft is obviously too large.

Adult↗

Influence of severe underlying pathology and hypovolemic shock on the development of acute pancreatitis in children.

Acute pancreatitis in children is a little known and poorly defined disease, and thus rarely considered in the diagnosis of pediatric abdominal pain. In the past 14 years, the authors treated 21 children who had acute pancreatitis. Trauma was the cause of the disease in 29% of the patients. One third (33%) had hypovolemic shock-related pancreatitis (mostly after either cardiopulmonary bypass or severe gastrointestinal bleeding). Furthermore, a major proportion (38%) had severe underlying organic disease. The clinical presentation was unremarkable; most patients (83%) had abdominal pain, especially in the epigastrium, and vomiting was the only other clinical sign exhibited by more than 50%. The Glasgow score (a severity grading system based on eight laboratory values and calculated within the first 48 hours after admission) had good specificity but poor sensitivity. Amylasemia had no predictive value. More than half our patients (57%) had complications, mainly pseudocysts (24%) and relapse (14%), and about one quarter (24%) had severe pancreatitis. There were two deaths (10%), and all surviving children (90%) eventually were symptom-free. Treatment was conservative in the majority of cases; eight patients (38%) required surgery. Hypovolemic shock and a severe underlying pathology were identified as risk factors for the occurrence of severe pancreatitis (P < .005) or death (P < .001), but not for the development of complications.

Acute Disease↗

Skin harvesting on the scalp in children: utopia or reality.

UNLABELLED: Since 1990 we have used systematically the scalp as donor site for split skin graft in children. The aim of this retrospective and prospective study is to analyse the results, advantages, disadvantages, complications and problems of this method. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The series includes 43 children, age: 9 months to 15 years 6 months (mean age 5 years 9 months) who presented burns or other lesions. The surface to be grafted was 0.5% to 35% of the body surface (mean surface: 6.6% TBS). The follow-up was 25 to 1086 days (mean: 304 days). The donor site is prepared by marking of the hair-limit, shaving, disinfection and infiltration with normal saline under the galea of the surface to be harvested. Skin harvesting is done with an electrical dermatome. The donor site is covered with sponges soaked in adrenaline (1/500,000). RESULTS: 1 child required harvesting twice in 2 weeks, another one 3 times in 3 months. All the other children required only one procedure. 4 children needed a meshing of the graft. They required also harvesting from other donor sites. The surface to be grafted represented more than 15% TBS. 5 children with a surface to be grafted between 10 and 15% TBS could be covered in one session, without meshing, taking only the scalp. The healing of the scalp was complete after 7 to 14 days (mean: 9.5 days). There was no mortality in our series. We were not confronted with any infection. No hypertrophic scars or retractions were encountered. 3 children presented zones of alopecia, one had sequelae and needed two surgical procedures. The two other cases were minor cases and did not require further treatment. A certain sparseness of hair was noticed in a black girl, after the third harvesting. The blood losses were estimated as a total and have also to be attributed to the tangential excision of the burn area. CONCLUSION: Skin harvesting from the scalp in children can be recommended as first choice. The advantages, especially the rapid epithelialisation and the lack of visible scars, overcome the problems and the risks.

Adolescent↗

Escalator injuries in Genevan children: a report of 6 cases.

We present a retrospective survey of the mechanism and the lesions caused by escalators in Genevan children. Though these accidents are rare, they are often very serious. They occur primarily among children around the age of three and affect especially the hand. It is not economically feasible to replace or modify current escalators. It is therefore important that the current warning signs on escalators be improved. As there is a specific risk to children of catching fingers in the escalator and most parents are unaware of this type of danger, a warning sign with an explicit illustration could be of value. Also an insertion of a plastic bar just above the moving stairs on each lateral wall would block any potential extremities from being caught in the gap between the steps and the side of the staircase.

Accident Prevention↗

Ultrasonography of jejunal intussusception in children.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the ultrasonographic findings in different forms of jejunal intussusception in three children. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Two children with hamartomatous polyps of the jejunum acting as lead points for antegrade jejunoileocolic intussusception and retrograde jejunoduodenogastric intussusception respectively and one child with idiopathic postoperative intussusception were examined by ultrasonography. RESULTS: The findings of the US studies were abnormal and different in each case, depending on the underlying condition and the direction (antegrade or retrograde) of the intussusception. The hamartomatous polyps were seen as hyperechoic solid masses but could not be diagnosed more specifically with US. A target lesion was found in the case of idiopathic postoperative intussusception. The US results prompted the next imaging procedure, air enema in the one patient in whom the intussusception had reached the colon and preoperative barium meal in all of the patients. Surgery was performed without the delay that usually occurs with jejunal intussusception. CONCLUSION: In the appropriate clinical setting, US should be used to look for jejunal intussusception, so that suitable diagnostic gastrointestinal studies can be performed and delay in diagnosis avoided.

Child↗

Right atrial thrombosis associated with central venous catheters in children with cancer.

Right atrial thrombosis (RAT) is infrequently diagnosed in children with cancer. Once RAT is documented, medical fibrinolysis or surgical thrombectomy is recommended. A RAT was documented in a child with lymphoma and was successfully lysed with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator. The case is presented and therapeutic options reviewed.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Use of Gianturco Z stents in the treatment of vascular compression of the tracheobronchial tree in childhood. A feasible solution when surgery fails.

Severe tracheomalacia secondary to extrinsic vascular compression following a switch operation for transposition is reported. Two attempts at surgical correction failed but successful treatment has been achieved by implantation of two endobronchial Gianturco Z stents. Nonabsorbable stenting in children should be used only in severe obstruction as a last resource, but this technique proved to be feasible in a child weighing 6.2 kg.

Bronchial Diseases↗

Intrahepatic biliary lesions following blunt liver trauma in children--is nonoperative management or conservative operative treatment always safe?

Nonoperative management of blunt liver injuries has become standard care for children, in the absence of hemodynamic instability. However, attention has to be drawn to biliary complications which can manifest themselves after a latent period, even in the presence of rupture of main biliary ducts. Peripheral bile duct lesions are easily treated by wide drainage. However, the extremely rare intrahepatic main bile duct lesions require other treatments. We report 2 cases of severe liver trauma associated with intrahepatic bile duct lesions: the first, managed nonoperatively, developed biliary peritonitis on day 21. Lesions of the main right biliary ducts were discovered. Because the right liver vascularization was not compromised, an intrahepatic biliary reconstruction was performed through a large hepatotomy according to the functional anatomy. The second child, who had an emergency laparotomy on admission, suffered nevertheless from a bilioma, drained on day 38. Because of increasing daily bile flow through the drain a second laparotomy was performed that demonstrated a biliary leak from a main segmental duct. Resection of the segment cured the patient. These two cases illustrate the occurrence of intrahepatic main bile duct lesions, clinically apparent after a latent period, following blunt trauma of the liver treated by nonsurgical or conservative surgical management. Intrahepatic biliary reconstruction is an alternative to liver resection when viable vascularization of the involved sector justifies its preservation.

Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic↗

The addition of lipids increases the total parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis in the rat.

Cholestasis is one of the most frequent complications of Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN). Among the components of TPN, amino acids (AA) and dextrose are considered responsible in terms of quantity. The aim of this study was to determine whether IV lipids have a protective effect on the liver lesions induced by TPN, as well as on the bile flow in rats. Two groups of 6 animals, 6 receiving TPN containing AA and dextrose (Group A-D) and 6 receiving AA, dextrose and lipids (Group A-D-L) were studied. Both groups received the same amount of AA (3.4 g/day) and the same amount of energy (50 kcal/day). The TPN lasted 3 days, after which blood samples were obtained for liver function tests and the bile flow was determined gravimetrically, subsequently the liver was removed for histological analysis. A significant weight loss (p < 0.01) was observed in both groups (Group A-D: -13 +/- 4 g; Group A-D-L: -16 +/- 2g). The bile flow was significantly lowered in A-D-L at 10.14 +/- 1.27 microliters/minute when compared to Group A-D (15.61 +/- 1.31 microliters/minute). The Aspartate Amino Transferase (AST) plasma level was elevated at 188 +/- 20 UI in Group A-D and at 185 +/- 33 UI in Group A-D-L. Gamma-Glutamyl-Transferase (gamma-GT) plasma level was in the normal range in both groups. In conclusion, this study indicates that TPN-associated cholestasis is significantly increased by lipid addition. However, the hepatocellular necrosis seems unchanged.

Amino Acids↗

Comparison of totally implanted and external catheters in paediatric oncology patients.

From June 1982 until December 1989, 93 permanent central venous catheters [59 external catheters (ECs) and 34 implanted catheters (ICs)] were placed in 69 patients. The median age of these patients at placement was 5.6 years for ECs and 8.8 years for ICs (P less than 0.05). Follow-up evaluation was possible on 86 catheters (58 ECs and 28 ICs). The median time of insertion was 236 days and 316 days for ECs and ICs, respectively (P less than 0.05). The median number of open days was 58 for ECs and 66 for ICs (not significant). 17 catheters (6 ECs and 11 ICs) were transiently obstructed (P less than 0.005). 30 episodes of bacteraemia were documented in 20 patients. The incidence of catheter sepsis and bacteraemia of unknown source was one in 278 and 283 open days for ECs and ICs, respectively (not significant). In this retrospective study, ECs appeared to be as safe as ICs when infection was correlated with use of the catheter, but this finding should be confirmed in a randomised design.

Bacteremia↗