Challenges in the Diagnosis of a Posterior Lingual Abscess, a Potential Lethal Disorder: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

A lingual abscess is a rare but potentially life-threatening disorder. Since the introduction of antibiotics, the incidence of posterior lingual abscesses has significantly declined; however, this condition is often missed on physical examination or misdiagnosed as another condition. The consequence of this misdiagnosis can be severe because airway obstruction with subsequent difficult or unattainable intubation can develop and lead rapidly to death.

Atypical Presentation of Viral Gastroenteritis in a Three-year-old Child Due to a UNC80 Mutation.

We report a three-year-old child with a rare genetic phenomenon, a UNC80 mutation, who had an unusual presentation of viral gastroenteritis. The UNC80 gene encodes for an important voltage-independent channel in neurons and a mutation in this protein can lead to severe hypotonia. The hypotonia manifests as delayed gastric emptying, impaired respiratory clearance, and/or delayed muscle coordination, which can predispose to infection susceptibility.