An ETV is an efficient procedure for controlling hydrocephalus associated with posterior fossa tumor. The authors confirm that a routine postoperative ETV is indicated for treating persistent hydrocephalus. For preventing it, however, they recommend early posterior fossa surgery whenever possible. The low rate of persistent hydrocephalus does not justify adopting routine preoperative ETVs.

We studied a 10-year-old girl with Sydenham's chorea (SC) using positron emission tomography (PET) with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Choreic movements involved the head and the left side of her body. PET showed increased glucose metabolism in the right caudate nucleus and putamen. Three months after complete recovery, striatal glucose metabolism had returned to normal in the caudate nucleus. In the right putamen, glucose metabolism had decreased compared to that in the first study but remained elevated compared to that of normal young adults. We propose that the transient striatal hypermetabolism may have been due to increased afferent inputs to the striatum as a consequence of striatal or subthalamic nucleus dysfunction.

The early postoperative PET, especially with (11)C-methionine, appears to be a valid basis for complementary therapeutic decisions, especially second-look surgery, in glial tumors for which a radical resection is a key factor for prognosis.

It is concluded that HFFIV is safe although it offers no concrete advantages over CMV when applied as we did in a low pressure approach.

No abstract

(1) Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world among children. The main purpose of this study was to analyze the consumption of asthma medications in order to investigate asthma in children (2–18 years) and the association with health care consumption; (2) a retrospective study using anonymized administrative data for 2013–2018 from the third largest Belgian health insurer was conducted; (3) in 2018, 12.9% of children received at least one asthma medication and 4.4% received at least two packages with a minimum of 30 days between purchases. Preschool children (2–6 years) were three times more likely to take asthma medication than older children (7–18 years). ICS, in combination or not with LABA, were the most dispensed drugs among children. Children with asthma medications were almost twice as likely to receive antibiotics, more likely to end up in the emergency room, and twice as likely to be hospitalized; (4) most children took ICS, according to the GINA guidelines. High rates of nebulization in young children were observed, despite the recommendation to use an inhaler with a spacing chamber as much as possible. Finally, children who took asthma medications were more likely to end up in the ER or be hospitalized.

No abstract

A delay of more than one month between the birth of twins is an unusual occurrence presenting the obstetrician and the neonatalogist with many questions regarding the management of the case. There is the risk of prematurity for the second twin as labor has already occurred in the pregnancy. There is also a risk of infection to both mother and fetus during the interval between the two deliveries, since the stump of the first twin's cord may precipitate ascending colonization from vagina and cervix. Germs frequently recovered from the vagina e.g. Ureaplasma urealyticum, are associated with prematurity. The latter has also been responsible for lethal interstitial pneumonia in the neonate. We present a case of a patient who though she delivered twice normally, had suffered 4 first trimester abortions and one late abortion, all spontaneous. Her eighth pregnancy was a twin pregnancy. She underwent a cerclage at 14 weeks, but went into labor at 17 weeks, when she delivered the first macerated twin. She was then treated with fenoterol and ampicillin; nevertheless she delivered twin the second at 26 weeks. This 750 g baby-girl presented with severe respiratory distress. Repeated chest X rays showed perihilar infiltrates which became nodular. All cultures were negative. At the end of the first week, when her condition was considered satisfactory, she deteriorated dramatically and died in respiratory failure and DIC. Tracheal aspirates were positive for Ureaplasma urealyticum.