Utility of Detecting sof Gene as Evidence of Streptococcus pyogenes Infection in Acute Rheumatic Fever.

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of polymerase chain reaction-based detection of sof gene compared to throat swab culture for S. pyogenes infection in patients with acute rheumatic fever and those with recurrence of rheumatic activity.

Methods: 40 patients between 3 to 18 years of age, with clinical diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever or new activity in established rheumatic heart disease were included.

Fulminant hepatic failure complicating visceral leishmaniasis in an apparently immunocompetent child.

Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is an unusual complication of visceralleishmaniasis (VL). Here, we present a 1.5-yr-old girl with VL developing rapidly progressive fatal FHF.

Sodium stibogluconate and polymorphic ventricular tachycardia.

Numerous antimicrobials including pentavalent antimonials are implicated in causing prolong QT-interval and ventricular tachycardia. Torsades de pointes is rarely documented with use of sodium stibogluconate. Here is described a 12-yr-old girl with visceral leishmaniasis, who developed syncopal attacks, prolong QT-interval, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and torsades de pointes after completing a course of Stibogluconate (20 mg/kg/day for 30 days).