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Appendicitis is a common surgical condition for children. However, environmental effects, such as piped water supply, on pediatric appendicitis risk remain unclear. This longitudinal, nationwide, cohort study aimed to compare the risk of appendicitis among children with different levels of piped water supply. Using data from Taiwan Water Resource Agency and National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 119,128 children born in 1996&ndash, 2010 from areas of the lowest piped water supply (prevalence 51.21% to 63.06%) as the study cohort, additional 119,128 children of the same period in areas of the highest piped water supply (prevalence 98.97% to 99.63%) were selected as the controls. Both cohorts were propensity-score matched by baseline variables. We calculated the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of appendicitis in the study cohort compared to the controls by Cox proportional hazards regression. The study cohort had a raised overall incidence rates of appendicitis compared to the control cohort (12.8 vs. 8.7 per 10,000 person-years). After covariate adjustment, the risk of appendicitis was significantly increased in the study cohort (adjusted HR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.35, 1.58, p &lt, 0.001). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses showed consistent results that children with low piped water supply had a higher risk of appendicitis than those with high piped water supply. This study demonstrated that children with low piped water supply were at an increased risk of appendicitis. Enhancement of piped water availability in areas lacking adequate, secure, and sanitized water supply may protect children against appendicitis.

We are reporting an unusual case of isolated intraosseous tophus in medial hallux sesamoid presenting as tumor-like lesion in a teenage patient without prior history of gouty attack and underlying systemic disorders. The lesion manifested isointensity to surrounding muscles with internal low signal on spin echo (SE) T1-weighted images, and heterogeneous low signal intensity on fast spin echo (FSE) T2-weighted images. Computed tomography (CT) scan disclosed expansion and diffusely increased attenuation of the medial hallux sesamoid with focal cortical erosion and extraosseous extension of high attenuation content. The subsequent resection and pathology revealed intraosseous tophus deposition, which is particularly rare at this site and at this age. Imaging studies revealed some characteristic imaging features which can retrospectively be attributed to gouty tophus. When an expansile osteolytic lesion manifesting low signal intensity on T2-weighted image and internal calcifications on CT scan is encountered, the possibility of intraosseous tophus should be included in the list of differential diagnoses, even in a teenage patient without prior history of gout.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare superficial soft tissue malignancy. We report a 45-year-old woman diagnosed with DFSP involving the breast. Ultrasound of DFSP revealed a heteroechogenetic breast mass, which showed normal adjacent dermis. Mammography disclosed a high-density mass without microcalcification. MRI showed an enhancing lobulated lesion with small area of cystic change and hemorrhage. The patient underwent excision biopsy and pathology revealed DFSP of the breast. DFSP involving the breast is rare and preoperative diagnosis by imaging could be a challenge for clinicians. A solitary mixed echogenicity and ill-defined soft tissue with no microcalcification located in the subdermal region could indicate the presence of DFSP.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare superficial soft tissue malignancy. We report a 45-year-old woman diagnosed with DFSP involving the breast. Ultrasound of DFSP revealed a heteroechogenetic breast mass, which showed normal adjacent dermis. Mammography disclosed a high-density mass without microcalcification. MRI showed an enhancing lobulated lesion with small area of cystic change and hemorrhage. The patient underwent excision biopsy and pathology revealed DFSP of the breast. DFSP involving the breast is rare and preoperative diagnosis by imaging could be a challenge for clinicians. A solitary mixed echogenicity and ill-defined soft tissue with no microcalcification located in the subdermal region could indicate the presence of DFSP.