Quality of life and clinical outcome after thyroid surgery in children: A 13 years single center experience.

Background: Given the low mortality of pediatric patients diagnosed with thyroid disease, quality of life (QoL) after thyroid surgery is very important. To organize the best possible patient care we analyzed our experience with respect to QoL and clinical outcome.

Methods: This is a single center, retrospective cohort study.

Comparing different revisions of the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire to reduce the ceiling effect and improve score distribution: Data from a multi-center European cohort study of children with JIA.

Background: The original version of the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ30orig) suffers from a ceiling effect and hence has reduced clinical validity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding eight more demanding items (CHAQ38) and a new categorical response option (CATII) on discriminant validity and score distribution in a European patient sample.

Methods: Eighty-nine children with Juvenile Idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and 22 healthy controls, aged 7-16 years, were recruited from eight centres across Europe.

Is grip strength a predictor for total muscle strength in healthy children, adolescents, and young adults?

The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether grip strength is related to total muscle strength in children, adolescents, and young adults. The second purpose was to provide reference charts for grip strength, which could be used in the clinical and research setting. This cross-sectional study was performed at primary and secondary schools and the University of Applied Sciences.

Responsiveness of exercise parameters in children with inflammatory myositis.

Objective: Juvenile dermatomyositis (DM) is an inflammatory myopathy in which the immune system targets the microvasculature of the skeletal muscle and skin, leading to significant muscle weakness and exercise intolerance, although the precise etiology is unknown. The goal of this study was to investigate the changes in exercise capacity in children with myositis during active and inactive disease periods and to study the responsiveness of exercise parameters.

Methods: Thirteen children with juvenile DM (mean+/-SD age 11.

Physical training in children with osteogenesis imperfecta.

Objective: To study the effects of a physical training program on exercise capacity, muscle force, and subjective fatigue levels in patients with mild to moderate forms of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI).

Study Design: Thirty-four children with OI type I or IV were randomly assigned to either a 12-week graded exercise program or care as usual for 3 months. Exercise capacity and muscle force were studied; subjective fatigue, perceived competence, and health-related quality of life were secondary outcomes.

Exercise training program in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of an 8-month training program with standardized exercises on aerobic and anaerobic capacity in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy.

Design: Pragmatic randomized controlled clinical trial with blinded outcome evaluation between July 2005 and October 2006.

Setting: Participants were recruited from 4 schools for special education in the Netherlands.

Aerobic and anaerobic exercise capacity in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Objective: To compare the aerobic and anaerobic exercise capacity of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) with healthy controls, to determine if there were differences based on disease onset type, and to examine the relationship between aerobic and anaerobic exercise capacity in children with JIA.

Methods: Sixty-two patients with JIA (mean +/- SD age 11.9 +/- 2.

Physical function and fitness in long-term survivors of childhood leukaemia.

Objective: To evaluate the physical function and fitness in survivors of childhood leukaemia 5-6 years after cessation of chemotherapy.

Materials And Methods: Thirteen children (six boys and seven girls; mean age 15.5 years) who were treated for leukaemia were studied 5-6 years after cessation of therapy.

Prolonged exercise testing in two children with a mild Multiple Acyl-CoA-Dehydrogenase deficiency.

BACKGROUND: Multiple Acyl-CoA-Dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD) is an inherited metabolic disorder characterized by impaired oxidation of fatty acids and some amino acids. METHODS: We were interested whether children with MADD could tolerate a prolonged low-intensity exercise test and if this test could have any additional diagnostic value. Therefore, we performed a maximal exercise test and a low-intensity prolonged exercise test in 2 patients with MADD and in 5 control subjects.

Anaerobic exercise capacity in patients with juvenile-onset idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Objective: To 1) report the feasibility of an "all-out" 30-second cycling exercise test (Wingate Anaerobic Exercise Test [WAnT]) in juvenile-onset idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (JIIM) patients, 2) describe the anaerobic exercise capacity in juvenile dermatomyositis patients, and 3) determine if the anaerobic exercise capacity could be related to disease duration or disease phase.

Methods: Twenty patients (age 14.13 +/- 5.

The reliability of an aerobic and an anaerobic exercise tolerance test in patients with juvenile onset dermatomyositis.

Objective: To investigate the reliability of an aerobic and an anaerobic exercise test in patients with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).

Methods: Sixteen patients with JDM (mean age 13.85 +/- 6.

Is physical fitness decreased in survivors of childhood leukemia? A systematic review.

The aim of this review is to determine whether physical fitness, assessed by peak oxygen uptake (VO(2peak)) measurement, is reduced in survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) compared to healthy children. A systematic literature search (up to June 2004) was performed using Medline, Sportdiscus, Cinahl, Embase, Cochrane and PEDro database and reference tracking. The VO(2peak) (ml kg(-1) min(-1)) reached during a maximal exercise test until volitional exhaustion was used as the main outcome for this review.

Physical activity and health related physical fitness in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Objective: To obtain insight into the interaction between daily physical activity and components of health related physical fitness in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Methods: Forty five patients (10 male/35 female; mean (SD) age 8.9 (2.

Relationship between functional ability and physical fitness in juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients.

Objective: To determine the relationship between aerobic and anaerobic physical fitness and functional ability in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods: Eighteen children with JIA (age 7 to 14 yr., 3 male/15 female) performed a maximal aerobic exercise test and a Wingate anaerobic exercise test.

Aerobic fitness in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a systematic review.

Objective: To determine whether children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) have lower physical fitness compared to healthy children, and to determine the clinical relevance of this impairment.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE and SPORTDiscus. The appropriate titles were identified and the data were extracted from these publications.

Heat shock proteins in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: keys for understanding remitting arthritis and candidate antigens for immune therapy.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is in a majority of the cases of self-limiting, and sometimes even a self-remitting, disease. A growing amount of data suggests that active T cell regulation determines, at least partly, the clinical outcome of JIA. In experimental models of arthritis, a group of highly conserved microbial proteins, heat shock proteins (hsps), can be used to effectively prevent and treat arthritis.

Neuromuscular scoliosis: clinical evaluation pre- and postoperative.

Neuromuscular scoliosis concerns a wide variety of disorders, all with a different approach to surgical intervention. The impact of these disorders on a patient is discussed in terms of pulmonary, cardiac, bowel and bladder function and complications in the perioperative and postoperative period such as gastric ulcers, pathologic fractures, wound healing, and nutrition is described. These difficult patients need a multidisciplinary approach.

Monocyte IL-10 production during respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis is associated with recurrent wheezing in a one-year follow-up study.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis is associated with subsequent recurrent wheezing episodes. To determine whether cytokine responses during infection can be of predictive value for the development of recurrent wheezing, we performed a follow-up study in 50 hospitalized children with RSV bronchiolitis. Monocyte and lymphocyte cytokine responses in vitro were studied during the acute phase of disease, and again during the convalescent phase, 3 to 4 wk later.

Influence of infant-walkers on motor development: mimicking spastic diplegia?

We discuss two patients, who used an infant walker during the period in which they learned to walk. The influence on qualitative and quantitative motor development is illustrated in this report. A disharmonic and delayed motor development, contractures of the calf-muscles and motor development mimicking spastic diplegia are considered to be caused by the early use of infant walkers.

Lung function abnormalities and respiratory muscle weakness in children with juvenile chronic arthritis.

In contrast to adult rheumatoid arthritis (RA) little is known about the prevalence, nature and cause of lung function abnormalities in children with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA). The aim of this study was to determine whether children with polyarticular and systemic onset JCA have lung function abnormalities and if so, whether they are related to pulmonary disease, thoracic and/or muscular involvement. We determined lung function and disability in 31 children with polyarticular and systemic JCA.

Resting energy expenditure and nutritional status in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: Undernutrition is frequently encountered in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). We assessed resting energy expenditure (REE) in relation to nutritional status and body composition in patients with JRA.

Methods: We selected 33 children (age 6 to 18 yrs) with JRA (13 oligoarticular, 10 polyarticular, 10 systemic JRA) and 17 controls matched for age and sex.

Peripheral blood cytokine responses and disease severity in respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis.

The role of cellular immunity in disease severity in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis is largely unknown. This study investigated the association between disease severity and systemic cytokine responses in hospitalized ventilated and nonventilated RSV bronchiolitis patients. In whole blood cultures stimulated with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), lymphoproliferative responses and interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-4 production during acute illness were measured.

Skinfold measurements in children with cystic fibrosis: monitoring fat-free mass and exercise effects.

Unlabelled: Monitoring fat free mass (FFM), an indicator of nutritional status and a predictor of exercise performance in children, is particularly important in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). We assessed validity of the skinfold method for measuring FFM, and its changes with exercise training, in children with CF. A total of 14 children with moderately severe symptoms of CF (age 10-18 years) were followed longitudinally and measured three times, before (at 0 and 6 months) and after exercise training (at 12 months).

Neutrophil antibody specificity in different types of childhood autoimmune neutropenia.

Autoimmune neutropenia (AIN) in children can be divided into 2 forms. In primary AIN, neutropenia is the sole abnormality, and although neutrophil counts are generally below 500 microL(-1), mild bacterial infections occur. Primary AIN is mostly seen in young children and shows a self-limited course.