A retrospective case-control study of gastrostomy use in children undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Background: Maintaining a good nutritional status during the hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) procedure is challenging in the pediatric population.

Methods: In a multicentric retrospective study, we compared the outcome of nutritional status and HCT-related parameters in 227 pediatric patients during and after HCT between 2005 and 2015. 112 patients received a gastrostomy before the start of HCT (GS group), and 115 did not receive a gastrostomy (NGS).

Diagnostic disagreement between clinical standard histopathological- and retrospective assessment of histopathology-based gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease in children.

Background: No previous paediatric study has evaluated the frequency of diagnostic disagreement between clinical standard histopathological assessment (CSHA) and retrospective, independent, histopathological assessment (RIHA) of gastrointestinal Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GI-GVHD) METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study, based on gastrointestinal biopsies collected from allogeneic HSCT-treated children (<18 years) with symptom-based GI-GVHD, we evaluated; disagreement of histopathology-based GI-GVHD diagnosis in CSHA vs RIHA, and potential clinical consequences of differences between the assessments. The CSHA-based diagnoses were retrieved from histopathology reports. The RIHA was performed by one pathologist, blinded to the CSHA outcomes and based on the minimal criteria for histopathology-based GI-GVHD diagnosis by the NIH 2014.

Clinical relevance of endoscopy with histopathological assessment in children with suspected gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease.

Endoscopy with histopathological assessment is an established practice to confirm gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease (GI-GVHD). However, the clinical relevance of this approach in children is incompletely evaluated. In a retrospective cohort study, we investigated the frequency of treatment changes in response to histopathological findings in all children (<18 years) in Sweden who underwent endoscopy for suspected GI-GVHD (2000-2013) after receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Choice of Endoscopic Procedure in Children With Clinically Suspected Gastrointestinal Graft-versus-host Disease.

Objectives: Gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease (GI-GVHD) is a potentially life-threatening complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Symptoms indicating GI-GVHD motivates endoscopy with biopsy sampling and histopathological confirmation. Optimal extent of endoscopy in children is, however, presently unknown.

Tacrolimus without or with the addition of conventional immunosuppressive treatment in juvenile autoimmune hepatitis.

Aim: To investigate tacrolimus (Tac)-based treatment in juvenile autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Twenty patients (13 girls; age, 8-17 years; median, 13.25 years) with AIH were treated with two daily oral doses of Tac.

Exclusive enteral nutrition in the treatment of children with Crohn's disease in Sweden: a questionnaire survey.

Aim: The general use of exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) as therapy for children with Crohn's disease (CD) in Sweden has not previously been studied. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate how EEN is used as therapy in Sweden for children with CD.

Methods: A questionnaire was sent to all 37 paediatric units in Sweden that treat children with inflammatory bowel disease.

Helicobacter species DNA in liver and gastric tissues in children and adolescents with chronic liver disease.

Objective: Enterohepatic Helicobacter species (EHS) have previously been found in adults with hepatobiliary diseases. Here, we report the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori and EHS in liver and gastric tissue in children and adolescents with chronic liver disease (CLD).

Material And Methods: Seventy-seven consecutive children and adolescents with CLD with or without ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease (UC/CD) were investigated.

Severe liver damage associated with celiac disease: findings in six toddler-aged girls.

Objective: Light-to-moderate liver damage is often seen in children diagnosed with celiac disease, but severe liver damage is rarely observed.

Methods: During a 12-year-long period our center took care of six 13-36-month-old girls who developed severe liver damage 1-24 months after the diagnosis of celiac disease.

Results: Four girls had acute liver failure; two of them had to be liver transplanted.

Cerebral venous thrombosis and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in an 18-year old male with severe ulcerative colitis.

The risk of thromboembolism is increased in inflammatory bowel disease and its symptoms may be overlooked. Furthermore, its treatment can be complex and is not without complications. We describe a case of an adolescent boy who developed a cerebral sinus venous thrombosis during a relapse of his ulcerative colitis and who, while on treatment with heparin, developed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT).

Vaccination of the immunocompromised child.

The development of vaccination is a major achievement in modern medicine. However, children treated with immunosuppression may not at all, or only in part, receive routine immunization due to uncertainty of its risks and effect. There is a substantial lack of pediatric studies concerning the efficacy and safety of vaccination in this patient group.

Concordance of Helicobacter pylori strains within families.

Helicobacter pylori infection is typically acquired in early childhood, and a predominantly intrafamilial transmission has been postulated. To what extent family members share the same strains is poorly documented. Our aim was to explore patterns of shared strains within families by using molecular typing.

Ganciclovir treatment in infants with cytomegalovirus infection and cholestasis.

Background: The authors have previously described an association between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and intrahepatic and extrahepatic forms of neonatal cholestasis. Pediatric use of the antiviral drug ganciclovir to treat patients with CMV infection has increased. In this study, infants with CMV infection and cholestasis were treated with ganciclovir.