Favorable outcome of chronic disseminated candidiasis in four pediatric patients with hematological malignancies.

Four children were diagnosed with chronic disseminated candidiasis (CDC) during treatment for hematological malignancies. All presented with persistent fever, not responsive to broad-spectrum antibiotics, abdominal distension and hepatosplenomegaly. Two children needed artificial ventilation because of respiratory insufficiency.

Extravascular lung water index measurement in critically ill children does not correlate with a chest x-ray score of pulmonary edema.

Introduction: Extravascular lung water index (EVLWI) can be measured at the bedside using the transpulmonary thermodilution technique (TPTD). The goal of this study was to compare EVLWI values with a chest x-ray score of pulmonary edema and markers of oxygenation in critically ill children.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study in a pediatric intensive care unit of a university hospital.

Disseminated aspergillosis in an adolescent with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Disseminated aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients has a mortality rate of almost 100%. Despite the development of new antifungal agents, the outcome of disseminated aspergillosis has only improved slightly, particular in patients with central nervous system (CNS) involvement. The use of combination antifungal therapy might improve the dismal outcome of disseminated aspergillosis.

Variability in the description of morphologic and contrast enhancement characteristics of breast lesions on magnetic resonance imaging.

Rationale And Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the interobserver variability in reporting descriptive kinetic and morphologic enhancement features at breast magnetic resonance imaging.

Materials And Methods: Four observers evaluated 103 lesions, 49 malignant and 54 benign, proven by histopathology. They used standardized terminology with the following characteristics: "early enhancement kinetics" and "late enhancement kinetics" in curves from both reader-determined and preset regions of interest (ROIs), "enhancement pattern," "shape," "margin," "internal enhancement," and a final assessment score.