THE ROLE OF INTERFERON-GAMMA RELEASE ASSAYS IN DIAGNOSIS OF LATENT TUBERCULOSIS INFECTION IN CHILDREN.

Despite numerous published papers, diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in children is still an undefined area. The importance of this topic lies in the fact that one third of the world's population is infected with . The majority of infected individuals are LTBI cases which make a reservoir for future active tuberculosis (TB) patients.

Based on what parameters is safe to discontinuate inhaled corticosteroids in children with asthma?

Objective: Remission of childhood asthma has not been widely studied. Patients in clinical remission continue to have some degree of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). The aim of this study was to investigate whether clinical parameters and lung function test are good parameters for discontinuation of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in asthmatic children, including patients with persistent BHR, as measured by the methacholine challenge test (MCT).

PARENTAL AWARENESS OF THE DANGERS OF FOREIGN BODY INHALATION IN CHILDREN.

Background: The presence of a foreign body in the airways is a life-threatening condition and thus a medical emergency that requires timely diagnosis and treatment. If not recognized, it can lead to a number of serious complications. It is of the utmost importance to raise public awareness and educate parents and other caregivers on all aspects of this topic.

Interdisciplinary care in orbital complications of acute rhinosinusitis in children.

Purpose: Orbital cellulitis is a serious condition with potentially severe complications. Treatment requires interdisciplinary care and early introduction of antimicrobial therapy. In our tertiary center, a team of pediatricians, pediatric ophthalmologists, and otorhinolaryngologists successfully participated in the management of pediatric periorbital/orbital cellulitis.

Value of thymic stromal lymphopoietin as a biomarker in children with asthma.

Background: Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), an epithelium-derived pro-inflammatory cytokine, activates distinct immune and non-immune cells. It has been shown to be a master regulator of type 2 immune responses. Limited information is available on TSLP in childhood asthma.

Features of the Skin Microbiota in Common Inflammatory Skin Diseases.

Many relatively common chronic inflammatory skin diseases manifest on the face (seborrheic dermatitis, rosacea, acne, perioral/periorificial dermatitis, periocular dermatitis, etc.), thereby significantly impairing patient appearance and quality of life. Given the yet unexplained pathogenesis and numerous factors involved, these diseases often present therapeutic challenges.

Horseshoe lung associated with diaphragmatic herniation of the liver.

Horseshoe lung is a rare congenital pulmonary anomaly in which the caudal and basal segments of the left and right lungs are joined together behind the pericardium at the height of cardiac apex. Most patients with horseshoe lung have many other cardiovascular anomalies typical of the scimitar syndrome or the hypogenetic right lung syndrome. We report on a patient with horseshoe lung not associated with scimitar syndrome, but presented with a focal diaphragmatic herniation of the liver, such as never reported before in case of horseshoe lung without associated scimitar syndrome.

Necrotizing pneumonia in infants.

Community-acquired bacterial pneumonias generally have a good prognosis, given a good response to the antibiotic treatment applied, and complications such as pleural effusion, empyema, abscess and necrotizing pneumonia with pneumatocele formation (cavitary necrosis) are rare. Although cavitary necrosis is manifested as a severe disease, most children show complete recovery even without surgical treatment and have normal chest radiographs at long term. A case is presented of an immunocompetent infant that developed necrotizing pneumonia with pneumatocele formation during treatment of bacterial pneumonia.

Neonatal sepsis.

Neonatal sepsis is the most common cause of neonatal deaths with high mortality despite treatment. Neonatal sepsis can be classified into two subtypes depending upon onset of symptoms. There are many factors that make neonates more susceptable to infection.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum in a healthy adolescent.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a rare clinical entity defined as the presence of free air in the mediastinal structures without an apparent cause such as trauma. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is rare in children and most frequently occurs in young male patients. It usually develops after alveolar rupture and air penetration into the pulmonary interstice, followed by air penetration towards the hila and into the mediastinum.

An individualized approach in the education of asthmatic children.

Asthma is the most prevalent chronic disorder of childhood. In a large number of cases, it can be well managed. In addition to accurate diagnosis, appropriate therapy and control of environmental factors, a good educational program is required, which has not yet received due attention.