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Author Spotlight: Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Gastric Content Assessment and Risk Stratification in Perioperative Care
Published on: September 22, 2023
Mesenteric Lymphadenitis on Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Pediatric Patients With Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis: A
Ee Tein Tay1, Adriana Manikian1
1The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
Insights
Abdominal pain in children with Group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis may be caused by mesenteric lymphadenitis (mLAD). Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) identified mLAD in pediatric patients with GAS pharyngitis and abdominal pain.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Abdominal pain is a frequent symptom in pediatric patients diagnosed with Group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis.
- The underlying cause of abdominal pain associated with GAS infections remains unclear.
- Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a valuable tool utilized by pediatric emergency physicians for evaluating abdominal pain in children.
Abstract:
Abdominal pain is a common complaint in pediatric patients with Group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis. Etiology of abdominal pain from GAS infections are unknown. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is often used by pediatric emergency medicine physicians to evaluate children with abdominal pain. We describe 12 pediatric patients who presented to our Pediatric Emergency Department with symptoms suggestive of acute pharyngitis and abdominal pain, tested positive for GAS pharyngitis, and were found to have mesenteric lymphadenitis (mLAD) on POCUS. Findings on POCUS suggest that abdominal pain in GAS pharyngitis patients may be caused by mLAD. Further studies are warranted to validate this association.
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