Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is now considered a useful tool in the evaluation of adult patients with mass lesions. We reviewed the experience with FNAC in our Paediatric Surgical Department. One hundred and eleven FNACs were performed in children with a superficial mass and no definite diagnosis. All the exams were done by the same physician using a fine needle and no anesthesia. We routinely used May-Grüwald-Giemsa and Papanicolaou staining. Patients age ranged from 20 days to 17 years, with a mean age of 6.5 years. A clinically benign pathology was cytologically confirmed in 90 cases (81%). All children did well at follow-up. Malignancy was diagnosed in eight cases (7.2%) and in all was confirmed with a surgical biopsy. In nine children (8.1%) the specimen was considered insufficient for definite diagnosis. In four cases (3.6%) the pathologist diagnosed a possible malignancy that was excluded at surgical biopsy. The sensitivity was 100% and the specificity was 96%. Our experience confirms that FNAC is a fast, cheap, simple, and accurate diagnostic method and should be used for screening in all children with doubtful superficial masses.

Background—Appropriate perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP) is essential to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs) and to avoid antibiotics misuse. Aim—The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness and long-term sustainability of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP), based on a clinical pathway (CP) and periodic education, to improve adherence to the guidelines for PAP in a tertiary care pediatric surgery center. Methods—We assessed the changes in PAP correctness and its effect on SSIs between the six months before and the 24 months after the implementation of ASP in the Pediatric Surgery Unit of the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health of Padova. The ASP was addressed to all surgeons and anesthesiologists of the Pediatric Surgery Unit. The primary outcome was appropriateness of PAP (agent, timing of the first dose, and duration). SSI rate was the secondary outcome. Results—1771 patients were included in the study and 676 received PAP. The overall correctness of the PAP, in terms of agent, timing, and duration, increased significantly after the CP implementation. What changed most was the PAP discontinuation within 24 h (p < 0.001). Cefazolin was the most used antibiotic, with a significant increase in the post-intervention period (p < 0.001) and with a reduction in the use of other broad-spectrum antibiotics. No variations in the incidence of SSIs were reported in the five periods (p = 0.958). Conclusion—The implementation of an ASP based on CP and education is an effective and sustainable antimicrobial stewardship tool for improving the correct use of PAP.

Background Inflammatory pseudotumors (inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors) of the lung are myofibroblastic lesions of controversial nosology. The concept that these are benign lesions has been recently questioned given their capacity for local invasion and recurrence. Procedure and Results. We observed five children with inflammatory pseudotumors of the lung in whom the tumor was resected using the most limited excision possible. Unusually, in all five cases the tumor was localized in the right upper lobe: Three were parenchymal, and the others involved the bronchus. The three parenchymal masses underwent wedge resection, whereas the two bronchial lesions required excision followed by a bronchoplasty and an upper lobectomy, respectively. In all, the pathology showed a complete resection, and the patients had uneventful recoveries. Follow‐ups, including CT and bronchoscopies, ranged from 4 to 8 years (mean of 6.4 years) with no signs of recurrence. Conclusions. Our limited experience supports the idea that excisional surgery is the treatment of choice for inflammatory pseudotumors of the lung. Such excisions, both diagnostic and curative, carry minimal risks and avoid unnecessary mutilation. Closely monitored follow‐up is mandatory, as the natural history of this lesion is not yet well understood. Med. Pediatr. Oncol. 31:100–104, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Extraperitoneal approach is sometimes recommended for kidney transplantation (KT) in children weighting <15 kg. We hypothesized that this approach might be as successful as in patients with normal weight. Data of all consecutive KTs performed between 2013 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Early outcomes and surgical complications were compared between children weighing ≤15 kg (low-weight (LW) group) and those weighing >15 kg (Normal-weight (NW) group). All the 108 KTs were performed through an extraperitoneal approach. The LW group included 31 patients (mean age 3.5 AE 1.4 years), whose mean weight was 11.1 AE 2.0 kg. In the LW group,-a primary graft nonfunction (PNGF) occurred in one patient (3.2%), surgical complications occurred in nine (29%), with four venous thrombosis. In the NW group, PNGF occurred in one case (1.3%), delayed graft function (DGF) in eight (10%), surgical complications in 11 (14%) with only one case of venous thrombosis. In both groups, no need for patch during wound closure and no wound dehiscence were reported. The extraperitoneal approach can be effectively used in LW children. No differences were observed in the overall complication rate (P = 0.10), except for the occurrence of venous thrombosis (P = 0.02). This might be related to patients' characteristics of the LW group.

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