Chickenpox, resulting from primary infection by the varicella-zoster virus, is an exanthematous disease very common during childhood and with good prognosis. However, serious complications, namely, neurological syndromes, may develop during its course, especially in risk groups, including adolescents. Peripheral facial palsy is a rare neurologic complication that has been previously described. ...

We propose an item response theory model to analyse psychiatric questionnaires that contain embarrassing items. We use Bayesian methods to estimate its parameters and consider a simulation study to evaluate the performance of the proposed estimators. The results are illustrated with the analysis of data collected to evaluate teenager depression, highlighting the gender difference in the probabi...

We report a measles outbreak in two Portuguese health regions (Algarve and Lisbon and the Tagus Valley) since February 2017, and which by 31 May resulted in 28 confirmed cases, of which 16 were unvaccinated. Thirteen cases were healthcare workers. One unvaccinated teenager died. Genotype B3 was identified in 14 cases from both regions. This outbreak occurs after 12 years without endemic measles...

This article reports the investigation and control measures undertaken following the identification of a toxigenic strain of Cornyebacterium diphtheriae var gravis, designated ribotype Minsk , in a partially vaccinated teenager born in the United Kingdom with no recent history of travel or known contact with a case of diphtheria or a carrier. This case highlights the need for ongoing work to im...

Acute compartment syndrome is an emergent condition characterized by increased pressure in a noncompliant fascial compartment, resulting in ischemia of the muscles and nerves. It is most commonly caused by a traumatic etiology but rarely can be caused by an atraumatic etiology, resulting in a confusing clinical scenario. We present a case of a 15-year-old sedentary teenager diagnosed with acute...