Development Of Lesions In Children Research Articles

The significance of tubulointerstitial lesions in childhood Henoch-Schönlein nephritis.

Little information is currently available on the development of tubulointerstitial lesions in children with Henoch-Schönlein nephritis (HSN). To identify the impact of the development of tubulointerstitial changes in HSN, we retrospectively analyzed renal biopsies obtained from children with HSN. Twenty-eight children with HSN from whom serial renal biopsies had been obtained before and after immunosuppressive therapy were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into two groups according to the observed change in tubulointerstitial lesion development: group I (n = 15), with stable or improved tubulointerstitial lesions, and group II (n = 13), with worsened tubulointerstitial lesions. Group II patients had longer duration of proteinuria than group I patients (3.7 ± 3.7years vs. 1.7 ± 1.7years, p = 0.052). The change in serum albumin level was negatively correlated with the change in tubulointerstitial scores before and after treatment (γ = -0.444, p = 0.018). Group II patients showed a significant decrease in immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA deposits after treatment (p = 0.039 and 0.003, respectively), while group II patients did not (p = 0.458 and 0.506, respectively). Although the International Study of Kidney Disease in Children classification of HSN does not include tubulointerstitial lesions, they can progress during treatment and could have significant clinical implications in association with the duration of proteinuria.

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and pediatric epilepsy

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) is a unique tool, which allows non-invasive in-vivo assessment of the white matter integrity and characterization of the brain maturation process in normal and abnormal subjects. In this review, we briefly present dMRI techniques and methodologies for non-experts and we describe recent studies investigating the use of dMRI in pediatric epilepsy. The study of white matter connections can guide us in localizing epileptic foci. Moreover, it has been proven sensitive to white matter-invisible lesions, network reorganization, the effects of seizures on the brain network, and the development of lesions in children and adults. Taken together, the results reviewed here suggest that dMRI is a valuable tool for assessing childhood epilepsy. However, studying dMRI in pediatric population is a challenge due to the high variability between age groups. In the quest for a deeper understanding of childhood epilepsies and brain abnormalities, dMRI protocols should be tested to determine the most sensitive parameters.