Reduction in false-positive Aspergillus serum galactomannan enzyme immunoassay results associated with use of piperacillin-tazobactam in the United States.

Piperacillin-tazobactam (PTZ) is known to cause false-positive results in the Platelia Aspergillus enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA), due to contamination with galactomannan (GM). We tested 32 lots of PTZ and 27 serum specimens from patients receiving PTZ. GM was not detected in the lots of PTZ; one serum specimen (3.

Transcatheter treatment of SVC syndrome from histoplasmosis-related mediastinal fibrosis in a 9-year old male.

We report a case of mediastinal fibrosis secondary to histoplasmosis in a 9-year old male, who presented with superior vena cava syndrome. He was successfully treated by percutaneous superior vena cava stent placement in the outpatient cardiac catheterization laboratory.

Disseminated histoplasmosis of infancy in one of the twins.

This report describes clinical manifestations of histoplasmosis in 6-month-old dizygotic twins, one of whom developed disseminated histoplasmosis of infancy while his sibling remained well, but developed serologic evidence of histoplasmosis. The report also documents histoplasma antigen concentrations in serum and urine before, during and after completing antifungal therapy.

Assessment of the validity of reported antibiotic allergic reactions in pediatric patients.

Study Objective: To determine whether a reported antibiotic allergy was likely to have been immunologically mediated.

Design: Questionnaire-based study.

Setting: Tertiary care, freestanding children's hospital.

Recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of histoplasmosis complicating tumor necrosis factor blocker therapy.

Life-threatening histoplasmosis is one of the most common opportunistic infections in patients receiving tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers. Delays in considering the diagnosis may lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Most affected patients present with pneumonitis, usually accompanied by additional signs of progressive dissemination, or with signs of progressive dissemination alone.

False-negative Histoplasma antigen in acute pulmonary histoplasmosis: the value of urinary concentration by ultrafiltration and heat denaturation of serum proteins in detection of Histoplasma antigen.

We report an infant with localized pulmonary histoplasmosis in whom Histoplasma antibody assays, quantitative Histoplasma urine and serum antigen concentrations, and histopathologic findings of a mediastinal mass were nondiagnostic. A provisional diagnosis of histoplasmosis was established by using laboratory methods that increase the sensitivity of the antigen assay using ultrafiltration of urine and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid/heat denaturation of serum proteins.

Acute deafness as the presenting symptom of bacterial meningitis.

Hearing loss has long been documented to occur during the course of meningitis. We report a case of a child presenting with deafness as the principal complaint of bacterial meningitis.

Clinical practice guidelines for the management of patients with histoplasmosis: 2007 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Evidence-based guidelines for the management of patients with histoplasmosis were prepared by an Expert Panel of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. These updated guidelines replace the previous treatment guidelines published in 2000 (Clin Infect Dis 2000; 30:688-95). The guidelines are intended for use by health care providers who care for patients who either have these infections or may be at risk for them.

The role of pelvic magnetic resonance in evaluating nonhip sources of infection in children with acute nontraumatic hip pain.

We retrospectively identified all children with acute hip pain who underwent pelvic magnetic resonance (MR). Children with septic hip or history of trauma were excluded; the remaining children with signs of infection (fever, >38 degrees C; leukocytosis, >12 x 10(9)/L; or elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], >30 mm/h) comprised the study group. Thirty-three children (9 girls; age, 0.

Histoplasmosis after treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha therapy.

Anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) antibodies are frequently used to treat inflammatory diseases. However, these drugs also have immunosuppressive effects. We report on three patients who developed disseminated histoplasmosis on therapy with TNF-alpha inhibitors.

Capnocytophaga canimorsus meningitis in a newborn: an avoidable infection.

Capnocytophaga canimorsus causes dog-bite wound induced sepsis in adults, but infection may follow mucous membrane exposure. Systemic infection in children is extremely rare. A neonate with frequent exposure to a family dog and no cutaneous infection developed C.

Cervical abscess and mediastinal adenopathy: an unusual presentation of childhood histoplasmosis.

Histoplasmosis is the most common endemic respiratory mycosis in the United States. We report the clinical and imaging findings in a case of a child with the rare presentation of a neck abscess and mediastinal lymphadenopathy secondary to acute, non-disseminated histoplasmosis. Imaging findings often mimic other granulomatous infections such as tuberculosis or neoplastic processes such as lymphoma.