Carcinoid of the appendix during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: unexpected benefits.

Carcinoid tumors of the midgut arise from the distal duodenum, jejunum, ileum, appendix, ascending and right transverse colon. The appendix and terminal ileum are the most common location. The majority of carcinoid tumors originate from neuroendocrine cells along the gastrointestinal tract, but they are also found in the lung, ovary, and biliary tracts.

Soluble ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) in biliary atresia and its relationship to disease activity.

Background: Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is strongly expressed on the bile ducts and hepatic parenchyma of livers with biliary atresia. A soluble, circulating form of this membrane protein has been found to be elevated in a number of inflammatory hepatic disorders. However, its expression in biliary atresia is unknown.

Differential expression of the major histocompatibility antigens and ICAM-1 on bile duct epithelial cells in biliary atresia.

Aberrant expression on biliary epithelial cells of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens in association with adhesion molecule intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) may be crucial to the immunopathogenesis of biliary atresia. The patterns of MHC class I and II expression in relation to ICAM-1 expression as well as the associated lymphocyte subpopulations were studied in frozen section liver biopsies from six infants with biliary atresia. Intense ICAM-1 expression was found on all ductal epithelial cells in association with MHC I.

The inflammatory response in pediatric biliary disease: macrophage phenotype and distribution.

Purpose: Extrahepatic biliary obstruction in infants and children leads to ductal hyperplasia and portal fibrosis. Inflammatory mediators responsible for increased cellular proliferation and matrix deposition are hypothesized to result from the intrahepatic recruitment and activation of lymphocytes and macrophages (M phi). The authors previously showed components of this mechanism in studies that demonstrated increased adhesion molecule expression in biliary atresia, as well as evidence of altered hepatic M phi function during the course of experimental cholestatic liver injury.

Pediatric soft tissue infections.

Quite often a soft tissue infection in a child may be the primary reason for seeking medical attention or an incidental finding on examination. To identify those infections that may be serious and require further intervention, all those dedicated to the care of children must be familiar with these illnesses and their complications. This article covers selected bacterial, viral, and fungal infections of the skin, subcutaneous fat, fascia, and muscle.