title: [Clinical and chest X-ray characteristics of 5 cases with severe acute respiratory syndrome in children in Shenzhen area].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore clinical and chest X-ray features of SARS in children to facilitate correct diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical manifestations and chest X-ray findings in five children suffering from SARS admitted for treatment in the hospital between February and May, 2003 in Shenzhen area were analyzed. The diagnosis was confirmed by epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and radiological examinations. Among the 5 cases, 1 was a boy and the others were girls at the age of 4 to 13 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 5 SARS children, 3 presented a history of close contact with SARS patients. Fever was the initiative symptom, 4 had a body temperature of over 38 degrees C with the highest being 40 degrees C; fever sustained from 4 to 7 days with an average of 5.6 days. All the 5 cases developed nonproductive cough; on auscultation, both moist and dry rales could be heard in 3 out of the 5 cases. Mean total white count of peripheral blood was (2.96 - 6.9) x 10(9)/L, and was < 5.0 x 10(9)/L in 4 cases. SARS associated coronavirus specific RNA fragment was found positive by RT-PCR in 1 case; 1 case was positive for both IgM and IgG antibodies to the virus; 1 case was positive for only IgM antibody and another 2 cases were positive for only IgG antibody. IgG and IgM antibodies to Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae as well as blood culture for bacteria were all negative. Findings on chest X-ray examination: 4 cases showed presence of patchy or macular opacities with cord-like shadows in unilateral lung plates while 1 case each showed ground-glass-like opacity and migratory changes; 1 case showed interstitial changes in the lungs in the form of irregular reticular lattice and cord-like shadows. Two cases received CT scanning and macular-patchy or spotty shadows were seen all over the lung. The shortest time for absorption of foci in the lungs was 7 days while the longest was 33 days with a mean of 15 +/- 6 days. None of the cases had any signs of fibrosis in the lungs. All the 5 cases were completely cured and discharged 7 to 40 days (mean 18 +/- 11 days) after admission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with adult cases with SARS, children with SARS had milder symptoms and signs. Presence of unilateral patchy shadow in lungs represented the main chest X-ray findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shenzhen East Lake Hospital, Shenzhen, 518020 China.
authors.forename: Pu-xuan
authors.initials: PX
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Bo-ping
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yi-wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Gui-lin
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Da-guo
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zi-yi
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Xin-chun
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-long
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Gen-dong
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhao-qin
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ben-tong
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M