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We reviewed the results of imaging studies on 111 children and adolescents with partial epilepsy to determine which imaging procedure had the greatest sensitivity and specificity for partial epilepsy in this age range. All cases were classified as idiopathic, lesional, and cryptogenic epilepsy based on the 1989 International League Against Epilepsy Classification. All patients had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 98 also had computed tomography (CT). Thirty patients with negative CT had MRI lesions that were most likely the cause of the epilepsy, and the initial diagnosis of cryptogenic partial epilepsy was changed to lesional partial epilepsy. We concluded that CT use is unwarrantedly common. MRI should be considered the procedure of first choice. CT has a complementary role, and functional neuroimaging should be encouraged.

In an observational study on candidaemia in hospitalised patients, conducted in a southern Italy hospital during 1998-2004, 155 cases were noted. Candida albicans (CA) was isolated in 71 (45.8%) cases involving mainly patients recovered in ICU, General Surgery and Neonatology. Candida non-albicans (CnA) species were isolated by 84 (54.2%) candidaemic patients, and in particular, Candida parapsilosis was the most frequent species isolated in Pediatric Oncology. 91.6% of the patients had a central venous catheter and only 46.4% were receiving antifungal prophylaxis. Among these patients, 87.5% (63) developed CnA infections; in particular, 41 patients had a C. parapsilosis bloodstream infection. During our study, we observed a variable drift from 1998 to 2003; we registered an evident increment of CnA candidaemia (76.9%) and a decrease of CA cases (23%) only in 2004. The mortality was 26.7%, and we observed that CA was associated with the highest rate of mortality (53.6%). Although Candida infections are correlated primarily with risk factors, their resolution depends on timely diagnosis and early therapy.

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