[The first consultation with an adolescent].

It is crucial not to miss the first consultation with an adolescent. This article reviews some of the essential step necessary to help make the first consultation a success: the time to devote to the patient, the preparation of the consultation, mandatory issues to address, clinical/physical examination, conclusion of the consultation, the prescriptions and the follow-up.

Circulating and cell-bound antibodies increase coxsackievirus B4-induced production of IFN-alpha by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with type 1 diabetes.

Increased levels of IFN-alpha have been found in patients with type 1 diabetes who have detectable levels of coxsackievirus B4 (CVB4) RNA in their blood. The IFN-alpha-inducing activity of CVB4 in vitro is weak but can be enhanced by human IgGs. Therefore, it was investigated in vitro whether a preferential IFN-alpha response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to CVB4 exists in patients with type 1 diabetes (n=56) compared with healthy subjects (n=20) and whether antibodies play a role.

Bacterial pericarditis in infancy and childhood.

The authors report on a cooperative study of 43 cases of bacterial pericarditis observed in children. This disorder was suspected in patients with septicemia who developed symptoms and signs of pericarditis (precordial pain, muffled heart sounds, pericardial friction rub, cardiomegaly). Early diagnosis of this condition is now facilitated by echocardiography.

[Calcification and healing of infectious myocardial pseudoaneurysms. Apropos of 2 cases].

The authors present two cases of infectious myocardial pseudo-aneurysms: the first was secondary to an intracardiac foreign body with mitral valve endocarditis; the second to septicaemia of urinary origin. Both cases progressed to calcification of the pseudo-aneurysm which appeared to be a mode of healing. Reviewed 20 and 19 years respectively after the initial episode, both patients have normal cardiac appearances apart from the residual myocardial calcification.

[Scimitar syndrome complicated by stenosis of the right pulmonary vein. Apropos of 4 cases].

The authors report 4 cases of the scimitar syndrome with pulmonary hypertension by stenosis of an abnormally draining right pulmonary vein and they also review the literature. All cases were symptomatic from infancy. The diagnosis was confirmed by catheterisation which showed a significant pressure gradient between the right pulmonary vein and the inferior vena cava, and by angiography which demonstrated the stenosis.