The preventive Effectiveness of Rituximab in Pediatric Autoimmune and Inflammatory CNS Diseases Relapse: an Iranian Experience.

Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of Rituximab (RTX) therapy as the first therapeutic choice for the long-term prevention of secondary relapse in children with AIND that had relapse after primary treatment with immunosuppressive agents other than RTX.

Materials & Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective study of 9 consecutive pediatric patients (≤ 18 years old) registered on Autoimmune and Demyelinating Disorders Database (ADDD) of Mofid Children Hospital, from 2012 to 2016 and experienced relapse following therapeutic interventions with immunosuppressive agents other than RTX.

Result: A remarkable reduction of 94.

Calculation of Mitral Valve Area in Mitral Stenosis: Comparison of Continuity Equation and Pressure Half Time With Two-Dimensional Planimetry in Patients With and Without Associated Aortic or Mitral Regurgitation or Atrial Fibrillation.

Accurate measurement of Mitral Valve Area (MVA) is essential to determining the Mitral Stenosis (MS) severity and to achieving the best management strategies for this disease. The goal of the present study is to compare mitral valve area (MVA) measurement by Continuity Equation (CE) and Pressure Half-Time (PHT) methods with that of 2D-Planimetry (PL) in patients with moderate to severe mitral stenosis (MS). This comparison also was performed in subgroups of patients with significant Aortic Insufficiency (AI), Mitral Regurgitation (MR) and Atrial Fibrillation (AF).