Pediatric nephrolithiasis cases have been on the rise in the past several years, resulting in increased healthcare costs and other burdens on the juveniles with this ailment. Recent research has shown that present trends in pediatric nephrolithiasis have changed as a result of fluid intake, including water consumption, nutrition, obesity prevalence, lifestyle, and imaging procedures. A specific cause, meanwhile, is still elusive. Trends in pediatric nephrolithiasis need to be thoroughly researched. Furthermore, variables specific to pediatric nephrolithiasis that could cause greater difficulties in an affected child elevate the level of worry with cumulative prevalence. Doctors should rigorously assess patients who present with kidney stones when they have dynamics such as varied clinical presentation, high recurrence of kidney stones linked to metabolic and urinary tract problems, and the potential existence of rare genetic kidney stone illnesses. This review aims to identify adaptive risk factors and anomalies that call for specialized treatment and prescription. More specifically, the major goals of medical and surgical treatments are to eliminate kidney stone risk and stop relapse while concurrently lowering interventional barriers. A dedicated nephrolithiasis clinic run by a pediatric nephrologist, nutritionist, urologist, and clinical nurse may sometimes be beneficial for patients in serious danger. Such a clinic offers significant chances to learn more about pediatric nephrolithiasis, which has been linked to water consumption and hence fosters urgently required study in this area.

Gastroschisis is a congenital abdominal wall defect that presents an increasing occurrence at great cost for the health system. The aim of the study is to detect the main factors of an unfavorable evolution in the case of gastroschisis and to find the best predictors of death. Methods: we conducted a retrospective cohort study of neonates with gastroschisis treated in a tertiary pediatric center during the last 30 years; 159 patients were eligible for the study. Logistic regression was used to determine the risk of death, estimated based on independent variables previously validated by the chi-square test. Results: if the birth weight is below normal, then we find an increased risk (4.908 times) of evolution to death. Similarly, the risk of death is 7.782 times higher in the case of developing abdominal compartment syndrome, about 3 times in the case of sepsis and 7.883 times in the case of bronchopneumonia. All four independent variables contributed 47.6% to the risk of death. Conclusion: although in the past 30 years in our country we have seen transformational improvements in outcome of gastroschisis, survival rates increasing from 26% to 52%, some factors may still be ameliorated for a better outcome.

Unilateral hypertrophy of the masseter muscle is a very rare pathological entity in children. Its etiology is uncertain and it requires a high degree of suspicion, as it must be differentiated from other conditions of the masseter area. As there are few pathological studies to elucidate this condition, we report a rare case of unilateral masseter muscle hypertrophy in a 16-year-old female patient with gradual onset of a painless swelling in the posterior left cheek which caused facial asymmetry with repercussions on the patient’s self-image. The diagnosis of unilateral masseter muscle hypertrophy was suggested by clinical examination, ultrasound scanning, and nuclear magnetic resonance, and was confirmed by histologic examination two years later when the patient returned for the surgical correction. The pathological findings report showed fragments of skeletal muscle with hypertrophic fibers associated with normal-sized muscle fibers in both longitudinal and transverse sections. The postoperative evaluation was favorable as both the adolescent and her family were satisfied with her look on the 14th day, 1st year, and 3rd year follow-ups. In conclusion, unilateral masseter muscle hypertrophy in adolescence is a sensitive problem due to the psychological implications of facial appearance. Definite diagnosis and treatment of the hypertrophied muscle is the ideal solution.

Ventricular assist devices (VAD) have gained popularity in the pediatric population during recent years, as more and more children require a heart transplant due to improved palliation methods, allowing congenital heart defect patients and children with cardiomyopathies to live longer. Eventually, these children may require heart transplantation, and ventricular assist devices provide a bridge to transplantation in these cases. The FDA has so far approved two types of device: pulsatile and continuous flow (non-pulsatile), which can be axial and centrifugal. Potential eligible studies were searched in three databases: Medline, Embase, and ScienceDirect. Our endeavor retrieved 16 eligible studies focusing on five ventricular assist devices in children. We critically reviewed ventricular assist devices approved for pediatric use in terms of implant indication, main adverse effects, and outcomes. The main adverse effects associated with these devices have been noted to be thromboembolism, infection, bleeding, and hemolysis. However, utilizing left VAD early on, before end-organ dysfunction and deterioration of heart function, may give the patient enough time to recuperate before considering a more long-term solution for ventricular support.