Limited granulomatosis with polyangiitis in children with idiopathic orbital inflammation: a case series and literature review

Idiopathic orbital inflammation (IOI) is a diagnosis of exclusion, but the exclusion of other inflammatory diseases of the orbit is broad and relies on clinician experience, response to corticosteroid, or biopsy. This study aimed to investigate the presence of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) in patients initially diagnosed as IOI and describe its clinicopathological features, ANCA status, treatment, and outcome. We performed a retrospective case series study of children diagnosed with limited GPA (L-GPA) in patients with IOI. A systematic review of the literature was performed in children with GPA and orbital mass. Eleven of 13 (85%) patients with IOI had L-GPA. Two additional patients with orbital mass and L-GPA were included in this analysis. The median age was 10 years, and 75% were female. Twelve cases were ANCA positive and 77% were MPO-pANCA positive. Most patients had a poor response to treatment and had a high relapse rate. Based on literature review, 28 cases were found. Most (78.6%) were female with a median age of 9 years. Three patients were misdiagnosed as IOI. Patients with L-GPA more frequently had MPO-pANCA positivity (35%) than children with systemic GPA (18%) and were less often PR3-cANCA positive than patients with systemic GPA (18% vs. 46%). L-GPA accounts for a high prevalence of children diagnosed as IOI. The high prevalence of MPO-pANCA observed in our study may be related to L-GPA rather than with the orbital mass. Long-term follow-up, orbital biopsy, and serial ANCA testing are necessary to exclude GPA in patients with IOI.

[Frecuencia y gravedad de la retinopatía del prematuro en una unidad de cuidados intensivos neonatales]

Introduction

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disease where retinal blood vessels do not develop normally and may cause visual damage and blindness.

Objective

To determine the frequency and severity of ROP in preterm newborns.

Method

A descriptive, comparative study was carried out within the 2009-2013 period. Patients' general characteristics were recorded, including gestational age and postmenstrual age at the moment of ophthalmologic examination, as well as ROP severity and type of treatment.

Results

A total of 326 preterm newborns were included: 47.8 % (n = 156) had ROP; in 21.1 % it was severe (stage ≥ 3). Median gestational age was 28 weeks in preterm newborns with ROP, median birth weight was 1000 g, and median postmenstrual age at ophthalmological examination was 36 weeks. Of the infants with ROP, 71.1 % received treatment: 63.4 % of those who had mild ROP and 100 % of those with severe ROP.

Conclusions

ROP frequency was high, higher than that reported in developed countries and similar to that in developing countries. The frequency of severe ROP was also higher. It is necessary for effective programs for the detection and opportune treatment of ROP to be established.