Background. Despite guideline recommendations, chest radiography (CR) for the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children is commonly used also in mild and/or uncomplicated cases. The aim of this study is to assess the reliability of lung ultrasonography (LUS) as an alternative test in these cases and suggest a new diagnostic algorithm.Methods. We reviewed the medical records of all patients admitted to the pediatric ward from February 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014 with respiratory signs and symptoms. We selected only cases with mild/uncomplicated clinical course and in which CR and LUS were performed within 24 h of each other. The LUS was not part of the required exams recorded in medical records but performed independently. The discharge diagnosis, made only on the basis of history and physical examination, laboratory and instrumental tests, including CR (without LUS), was used as a reference test to compare CR and LUS findings.Results. Of 52 selected medical records CAP diagnosis was confirmed in 29 (55.7%). CR was positive in 25 cases, whereas LUS detected pneumonia in 28 cases. Four patients with negative CR were positive in ultrasound findings. Instead, one patient with negative LUS was positive in radiographic findings. The LUS sensitivity was 96.5% (95% CI [82.2%–99.9%]), specificity of 95.6% (95% CI [78.0%–99.9%]), positive likelihood ratio of 22.2 (95% CI [3.2–151.2]), and negative likelihood ratio of 0.04 (95% CI [0.01–0.25]) for diagnosing pneumonia.Conclusion. LUS can be considered as a valid alternative diagnostic tool of CAP in children and its use must be promoted as a first approach in accordance with our new diagnostic algorithm.

Background Malignant spinal cord compression (MSCC) is associated withpoor prognosis and may lead to permanent paralysis, sensory loss, and sphincter dysfunction. Very limited data are available on incidence and etiology of MSCC in pediatric population. We aimed to examine etiology, clinical presentation and treatment of pediatric patient with MSCC admitted to the Santobono-Pausilipon Children’s Hospital, Naples, Italy. Methods Forty-four children under 18 yearsadmitedsince 2007 and assessed for MSCC clinical presentations, evaluation, and treatment.were retrospectively collected from our institutional pediatric oncology and neurosurgery database. Results The median age at time of MSCC diagnosis was 52 months, with a peak in young (≤3 years) patients. The leading cause of MSCC was extramedullary tumors (63.6%), in particular neuroblastoma (27.2%) followed by Ewing sarcomas (15.9%). Cord compression was the presenting feature of a new malignancy in 33 (75%) patients, and a consequence of metastatic disease progression or relapse in the remaining 11 (25%) patients. Motor deficit was the initial symptoms of spinal compression in all patients, while pain was present in about 60% of patients, followed by sphincteric deficit (43.2%). The primary tumor site was located in the neck in 3 (6.8%) patients, thorax in 16 (36.4%), cervico-thoracic region in 3 (6.8%), thoraco-lumbar region in 8 (18.2%), abdomen in 5 (11.4%), lumbar-sacral region in 7 (15.9%) and thoracic-lumbar-sacral region in 1 (2.3%). The median length of the interval between symptom onset and tumor diagnosis varied widely from 0 to 360 days in the entire population, however this interval was significantly shorter in patients with known neoplasia in comparisonto patients with new diagnosis (at relapse 7 days [interquartile range 3–10] vs at diagnosis 23 days [7–60]). Pre and post-operative spine magnetic resonance imagingwas performed in all cases, and most(95%) patients underwent neurosurgical treatment as first treatment. Severe motor deficit was associated with younger age and severe motor deficit at diagnosis was associated withworst motor outcomes at discharge from neurosurgery. Patients with progression or relapsed disease showed a worst prognosis, while the majority of patients (70.5%) were alive at 5 years after diagnosis. Conclusions The natural history of MSCC in children is associated to permanent paralysis, sensory loss, and sphincter dysfunction, thus prompt diagnosis and correct management are needed to minimize morbidity. Treatment strategies differed widely among cancer types and study groups in the absence of optimal evidence-based treatment guidelines. When the diagnosis is uncertain, surgery provides an opportunity to biopsy the lesion in addition to treating the mass.

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Antibiotic abuse for treating rhinopharyngitis induces the occurrence of resistant bacteria. As topical drugs might reduce this phenomenon, the aims of our study are to evaluate inhaled thiamphenicol associated with acetylcysteine in children with acute bacterial rhinopharyngitis and to compare it with the use of saline solution. The trial was conducted as randomized, parallel group, and single blind. Children, aged 3-6 years, with acute bacterial rhinopharyngitis were treated with aerosolized thiamphenicol associated with acetylcysteine (250 mg: 1/2 vial in the morning and 1/2 vial in the evening) (Group A) or saline solution twice daily (Group B), both of them for 5 days. Both treatments were administered using a new device: Rinowash. The following parameters were assessed: nasal obstruction, mucopurulent rhinorrhea, post-nasal drip, cough, sore throat, fever, and cultures. Of 104 patients screened, 90 children, median age 3.7 years (44 females and 46 males), completed the study: 60 in Group A and 30 in Group B. Actively-treated children achieved a significant improvement of all parameters, but fewer than the control group. In conclusion, inhaled thiamphenicol associated with acetylcysteine may represent a valid treatment for acute bacterial rhinopharyngitis in children, as it is effective, safe, economic, and simple to use.

We conducted a long-term prospective study of 89 cancer survivor children who had acquired hepatitis B virus (HBV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) during treatment for neoplasia, the aim being to evaluate the natural history of the diseases and the effect of interferon (IFN) treatment. Patients were followed up for a median period of 13 years (range, 8 to 20); 46 were infected by HBV, 11 by HCV, and 32 coinfected by HBV and HCV. A spontaneous clearance of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) occurred more frequently in coinfected patients (19%) than in the HBV-infected (2%; P = .004), with an annual seroconversion rate of 2.1% and 0.2%, respectively (P= .008). Loss of hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg) occurred in 44% of coinfected and in 28% of HBV-infected patients. Clearance of serum HCV-RNA was observed in 34% and 9%, respectively, of coinfected and HCV-infected patients. Seventeen HBV-infected, 4 HCV-infected, and 16 coinfected patients received -IFN treatment. In the HBV group, 6 patients (35%) cleared serum HBV DNA and seroconverted to anti-HBe; in the HCV-group, none cleared HCV-RNA. In the coinfected group, 1 patient cleared both HBV DNA and HCV-RNA, 6 patients cleared serum HCV-RNA alone, and 1 only HBV DNA and HBeAg. Overall, the diseases showed a mild histological course with no evidence of liver cirrhosis. A reciprocal interference on viral replication between HBV and HCV may occur in coinfected patients. Treatment seems to be effective for selected cases and is justified in view of the uncertain prognosis of the disease in these patients.