Tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1 beta levels in cerebrospinal fluid examination for the diagnosis of ventriculoperitoneal shunt-related ventriculitis.

Purpose: Ventriculitis is known to develop after chronic inflammation and bacterial invasion of the ventricular surface with a recurrence of shunt infections. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of elevation in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) together with CSF culture and laboratory test results in the diagnosis of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt-related ventriculitis, which is known to be more problematic than conventional shunt infection.

Methods: The study included a total of 34 patients with a VP shunt due to hydrocephalus, who presented with a headache, fever, and shunt infection at the Emergency Department and had a pre-diagnosis of ventriculitis.

Central precocious puberty in a case of late-diagnosed familial testotoxicosis and long-term treatment monitoring.

Familial testotoxicosis is a disease with autosomal dominant inheritance that only affects men and which causes gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty. Although basal levels of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone are low, similar to what is expected in the pre-pubertal period, testosterone levels are high. Bicalutamide as an anti-androgen medication and anastrozole as an aromatase inhibitor have been proposed as agents that can be safely used in children.