PFAPA syndrome is the most common autoinflammatory disease of childhood, with an as yet unknown etiology. It is characterized by recurrent, periodic episodes of fever accompanied by specific clinical features. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed characterization of PFAPA syndrome in a large Polish pediatric cohort. We conducted a retrospective study based on data from 47 children with a confirmed diagnosis of PFAPA syndrome. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. Detailed analyses included clinical manifestations, therapeutic approaches, and laboratory findings. The median age of the study population was 5 years, with a predominance of males (59.6%). In 91.5% of patients, the first episode of fever occurred before the age of 5 years. Febrile episodes lasted a mean of 5 days, with a median inter-episode interval of 3 weeks. The key clinical manifestations included cervical lymphadenopathy (91.5%), tonsillar exudates (85.1%), pharyngitis (74.5%), and oral aphthae (51.1%). During afebrile intervals, 87.2% of patients were free of symptoms. Laboratory evaluation showed elevated inflammatory markers, with a median C-reactive protein level of 6.9 mg/d (in the 9 patients with available laboratory data), a median erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 35.0 mm/h, and a mean neutrophil count of 11.8 × 10^3/µL. Prednisone treatment was effective in 97.6% of cases. Tonsillectomy was performed in 25.5% of children and resulted in complete resolution of febrile episodes in 83.3% of them. This study confirms the established epidemiologic and clinical profile of PFAPA syndrome in the pediatric population, highlighting its characteristic manifestations and the high effectiveness of glucocorticoid therapy and tonsillectomy. The findings may contribute to consolidating current knowledge about PFAPA and to reducing the inappropriate use of antibiotics.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by eczematous lesions and recurrent pruritus. The pathogenesis of AD involves epidermal barrier impairments, immune dysfunction, and both genetic and environmental factors. This review presents the latest findings regarding the involvement of microRNA (miRNA) molecules in AD pathogenesis and their potential application as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. The following miRNAs were analyzed in detail: miR-223, miR-10a-5p, miR-29b, miR-146a-5p, miR-451a, miR-124, miR-143, miR-151a, miR-24, miR-191, and miR-155. Their molecular mechanisms and potential clinical implications are discussed. Understanding the role of specific microRNAs in AD pathogenesis may contribute to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for this disease.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common inflammatory skin disease in the pediatric population. In recent years, the role of microRNAs in inflammatory and immunological mechanisms as specific biomarkers of AD has received growing attention. The aim of the present study was a quantitative assessment of serum expression levels of miR-100, miR-224 and miR-155 in children with AD compared with healthy peers, and an analysis of their potential associations with clinical disease phenotype, severity of skin lesions (SCORAD), cytokine profile, immunological parameters and the presence of concomitant allergic diseases. The study included 12 children with AD and 9 healthy children. Selected miRNAs were isolated from serum, followed by reverse transcription using universal primers and quantification by qRT-PCR. Children with AD exhibited significantly higher expression levels of miR-155 compared with controls (p = 0.003). No statistically significant differences were observed for miR-100 and miR-224. miR-100 expression was significantly higher in children with a positive history of inhalant allergy compared with those without such a diagnosis (p = 0.014). A positive correlation was observed between miR-100 levels and the percentage of eosinophils (r = 0.599; p = 0.052) as well as absolute eosinophil count (r = 0.600; p = 0.051). MiR-155 is significantly upregulated in children with AD suggesting it as a candidate biomarker worthy of further investigation in larger cohorts. Although miR-100 did not differentiate the groups, its correlation with eosinophilia and inhalant allergy suggests a role in disease phenotyping.

Wprowadzenie i cel: Napływ ludności cywilnej (głównie kobiet i dzieci) pochodzenia ukraińskiego spowodowany konfliktem zbrojnym w Ukrainie, zapoczątkowany w lutym 2022 roku, spowodował konieczność opracowywania nowych standardów pomocy medycznej. W tym celu, korzystając z zasobów Wojskowego Instytutu Medycznego – Państwowego Instytutu Badawczego, utworzono Centrum Pomocy Medycznej, działające w okresie od maja do lipca 2023 roku. Na podstawie analizy zgromadzonych danych medycznych pacjentów zgłaszających się do Centrum podjęto próbę zdefiniowania najczęstszych problemów zdrowotnych populacji pediatrycznej imigrantów wojennych z Ukrainy.Materiał i metody: Badaniem objęto dzieci pochodzenia ukraińskiego, mające status uchodźcy wojennego. W ciągu 56 dni działania Centrum udzielono pomocy medycznej 130 pacjentom pediatrycznym, w ramach 211 przeprowadzonych konsultacji lekarskich. Szczegółowej analizie poddano dane demograficzne i epidemiologiczne, bieżące problemy zdrowotne, wywiad chorobowy oraz dokumentację medyczną zgłaszających się dzieci.Wyniki: Najczęstszym powodem zgłoszenia się pacjentów była potrzeba kontynuacji świadczeń/leczenia z powodu przewlekłego problemu zdrowotnego (30%, 64 wizyty). Drugą co do częstości przyczynę zgłoszeń stanowiły infekcje (27%, 56 wizyt). Z wywiadu zebranego od opiekunów wynikało, iż większość (74%) dzieci była szczepiona zgodnie z ukraińskim kalendarzem szczepień, 1% stanowiły dzieci szczepione częściowo, 3% dzieci niezaszczepione, a w 22% przypadków odmówiono odpowiedzi na pytanie dotyczące szczepień. Na podstawie ankiety dotyczącej chorób zakaźnych stwierdzono dwa zachorowania na wirusowe zapalenie wątroby i jedno zachorowanie na gruźlicę. Nie odnotowano HIV/AIDS wśród badanych pacjentów pediatrycznych.Wnioski: Stan zdrowia przybyłych do Polski dzieci pochodzenia ukraińskiego był dobry, nieodbiegający znacząco od populacji polskiej, a ich potrzeby zdrowotne nie różniły się w większości od potrzeb pacjentów polskich. Pacjenci nie prezentowali objawów typowych dla populacji migrantów wojennych. Wyniki przeprowadzonego programu potwierdzają przydatność tworzenia centrów pomocy medycznej dla migrantów jako przestrzeni do fachowej opieki medycznej oraz gromadzenia danych z zakresu zdrowia publicznego.

Infections with human herpesvirus type 6 commonly affect children up to 3 years of age. The infection is usually mild, however, severe cases involving the central nervous system can occur. We conducted a retrospective analysis of three cases who tested positive for human herpesvirus type 6 in cerebrospinal fluid polymerase chain reaction. Symptoms, laboratory findings, and proposed management in cases of uncertain aetiology of the neuroinfection are discussed. Attention is also drawn to the controversies related to the interpretation of molecular findings due to the latency of human herpesvirus type 6 infection and the lack of treatment recommendations for encephalitis of the aforementioned aetiology. Management of severe cases is suggested, along with potential treatment options.

Introduction This article discusses the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the medical field and its daily use in the practice of medicine. AI has applications in many stages of patient care, i.e.: prevention, diagnosis, personalising treatment plans, predicting disease progression and therapeutic outcomes or analysing medical images. GPs play a key role in patient care, but due to the complexity of medicine and the variety of symptoms, care and diagnosis can be time-consuming and difficult. Methods and materials The aim of this study is to explore and evaluate the potential of artificial intelligence in the process of diagnosing diseases by physicians and to provide practical suggestions and insights for its use in medical practice to improve the quality of healthcare. The methodology was based on material from PubMed and a review of the scientific literature on previous research and developments in AI in medicine. State of knowledge Investment in artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine is growing rapidly. The role of GPs in patient care is highlighted and examples of the use of AI in everyday medical practice are given, including the role of Chatbots and the use of AI in specialised treatment. Conclusions The conclusions of the article highlight the potential of AI in the area of physician-diagnosed diseases to reduce diagnosis time, increase accuracy of diagnoses and improve healthcare efficiency. Final diagnosis and therapy should still be determined by a qualified physician. There are areas where the doctor cannot be replaced by AI. AI cannot replace a doctor's diagnostic intelligence, empathy and rapport therefore doctors need to find a balance between these combinations to achieve better health outcomes with the highest possible care for patients.