Optimizing growth in pediatric renal transplant recipients: An update.

Growth retardation is a significant complication observed in pediatric renal transplant recipients, originating from a multifactorial etiology. Factors contributing to growth impairment encompass pre-transplant conditions such as primary kidney disease, malnutrition, quality of care, growth deficits at the time of transplantation, dialysis adequacy, and the use of recombinant human growth hormone. Additionally, elements related to the renal transplant itself, such as living donors, corticosteroid usage, and graft functioning, further compound the challenge.

Tender cervical lymphadenitis as a herald of multi-system inflammatory syndrome in COVID-19 infection of children and adolescents: a report of two cases.

Background: Post-COVID-19 multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) has been increasingly recognized but fever with isolated tender cervical lymphadenitis as the initial presentation has been rarely reported. We present 2 female patients one a child and the other an adolescent.

Case Presentation: Case 1 was a 13-year-old girl who presented with tender cervical lymphadenopathy and fever 3-weeks post-COVID-19, and then developed features of MIS 5 days later.

Childhood constipation: Current status, challenges, and future perspectives.

Constipation in children is a major health issue around the world, with a global prevalence of 9.5%. They present to clinicians with a myriad of clinical signs.

Effect of Prior Symptomatic Dengue Infection on Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF) in Children.

Pathogenesis of dengue haemorrhagic fever is not fully understood, but it is thought that there is antibody enhancement during the secondary infection, which causes severe dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF). Therefore, patients who have DHF should have a documented history of symptomatic dengue infection in the past. A retrospective descriptive-analytical study was conducted at the University Paediatric Unit at Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Epilepsy Outcome at Four Years in a Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Oral Prednisolone and Intramuscular ACTH in West Syndrome.

Background: This article explores the role of initial treatment on control of spasms and other epilepsies at four years in children previously treated for West syndrome.

Methods: The Sri Lanka Infantile Spasm Study is a prospective clinical trial evaluating response to intra-muscular adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) versus oral prednisolone. A previous report documented response through age 12 months.

Effect of long term inhaled corticosteroid therapy on adrenal suppression, growth and bone health in children with asthma.

Background: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the most effective treatment for children with persistent asthma. However adverse effects of ICS on Hypothalamo Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis, growth and bone metabolism are a concern. Hence the primary objective of this study was to describe the effects of long term inhaled corticosteroid therapy (ICS) on adrenal function, growth and bone health in children with asthma in comparison to an age and sex matched group of children with asthma who were not on long term ICS.

Progressive Intramuscular Haematoma in a 12-Year-Old Boy: A Case of Acquired Haemophilia A.

Acquired hemophilia A (AHA) is a rare bleeding disorder due to acquired antibodies against coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). It is rare in children less than 16 years old, and the incidence is 0.45/million/year.

Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome presenting as acute adrenal crisis in a child: a case report.

Background: Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of cholesterol biosynthesis which is characterized by multiple congenital malformations and global developmental delay. Here we report the case of a 3-year-old, previously undiagnosed, child with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome presenting with acute adrenal crisis, which is an extremely rare and atypical presentation of this disease.

Case Presentation: A 3-year-old Sri Lankan Sinhalese boy without evidence of infection presented with circulatory collapse.

An outbreak of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in children with malignancy.

An outbreak of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in three patients within a 6 week period was reported. Two patients had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and one had brain-stem glioma. They shared common features of immunosuppression and absence of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and had been nursed in the same room.

Somatostatin therapy in L-asparaginase-induced pancreatitis.

L-Asparaginase-induced pancreatitis is an uncommon but potentially lethal complication. An 8-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia developed acute pancreatitis following treatment with asparaginase. Clinical and laboratory improvements were evident after treatment with somatostatin, with no complications of pancreatitis.

A new 3C syndrome: cerebellar hypoplasia, cavernous haemangioma and coarctation of the aorta.

Two children were identified with facial haemangioma, cerebellar hypoplasia and co-arctation of the aorta; the second child presented to the neurology department because of facial haemangioma. The importance of awareness of the association of these three conditions is essential to ensure proper management and survival of this group of patients. The possible pathophysiology of these associated conditions is discussed.

Long term survival in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

A case of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) with a long survival of 8 years is reported. Long term survival in SSPE has not been previously reported from Sri Lanka.

Wilms tumour associated with unilateral dysplasia of the iris.

We report a case of Wilms tumour associated with unilateral partial aniridia. Although Wilms tumour is known to be associated with bilateral aniridia, there is only one previously reported case associated with dysplasia of the iris.

Renal blood flow pattern by noninvasive Doppler ultrasound in normal children and acute renal failure patients.

A pilot study of the Doppler renal arterial flow pattern was done in a group of 38 normal children, including 11 neonates age 2 weeks or less, 10 infants age 2 weeks to 1 year, and 17 children age 1 year and over. The appearance time, acceleration time, end-diastolic to peak-systolic velocity ratio (d/S), and diastolic to systolic flow ratio (A2/A1) increased with age. Another four patients with acute renal failure showed a characteristic absence of blood flow in the whole or late-diastolic phase.