Application of ultrasound-guided endoscopic retrograde appendicitis therapy in children with appendix-related chronic abdominal pain / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided endoscopic retrograde appendicitis therapy in children with appendix-related chronic abdominal pain.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 30 children with the chief complaint of chronic abdominal pain who were admitted from August 2019 to May 2021. All the children were found to have inflammation of the appendix or intracavitary stool and fecalith by ultrasound and underwent ultrasound-guided endoscopic retrograde appendicitis therapy. The medical data for analysis included clinical manifestations, endoscopic findings, white blood cell count, neutrophil percentage, length of hospital stay, and cure rate.@*RESULTS@#Among the 30 children with chronic abdominal pain, there were 13 boys (43%) and 17 girls (57%), with a mean age of (9±3) years (range 3-15 years) at diagnosis. The median duration of the disease was 12 months, and the median length of hospital stay was 3 days. The children had a median white blood cell count of 6.7×109/L and a neutrophil percentage of 50%±13%. Fecalith and a large amount of feces were flushed out of the appendix cavity for 21 children (70%) during surgery. The follow-up rate was 97% (29/30), and the median follow-up time was 11 months (range 5-26 months). Of the 29 children, abdominal pain completely disappeared in 27 children (93%).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Ultrasound-guided endoscopic retrograde appendicitis therapy is effective in children with chronic abdominal pain caused by feces or fecalith in the appendix cavity.

Diferenciar la apendicitis con o sin fecalito ¿puede cambiar el enfoqueterapéutico?: Resultados preliminares / Differentiating between appendicitis with or without fecalith to change the therapeutic approach: Preliminary results

Antecedentes: el manejo de los pacientes con apendicitis aguda fue clásicamente quirúrgico. En la era de los antibióticos se plantean nuevos paradigmas terapéuticos. La diferencia en el origen de la apendicitis podría establecer el tratamiento por elegir. Objetivo: analizar si la presencia de fecalito en una apendicitis puede condicionar un tratamiento quirúrgico o solo con antibióticos. Material y métodos: análisis descriptivo observacional de las diferencias intraoperatorias y anatomopatológicas de los pacientes operados por apendicitis aguda, divididos en 2 grupos según presentaran fecalito o hiperplasia linfoidea como causa de origen. Se utilizó la prueba de Chi2 para la comparación de ambos grupos, tomando un valor de p<0,05. Resultados: el grupo de apendicitis por fecalito presentó un estadio más avanzado de la enfermedad, con líquido libre con más frecuencia (el 67% de los pacientes con apendicitis aguda por fecalito vs. el 18% en el grupo de apendicitis aguda por hiperplasia), en más de una localización (solo el grupo con fecalito presentó líquido en el fondo de saco de Douglas o en el resto del abdomen, en el 50% y 16,7% respectivamente), con características que variaron entre seroso y purulento y anatomopatológicamente presentaron mayor afectación de las capas histológicas (en el grupo hiperplasia la afectación hasta la mucosa fue 63,6% vs. 16,7%, mientras que en el grupo fecalito fue más frecuente la afectación hasta la serosa 66,6% vs. 27,3%). Conclusiones: los pacientes con apendicitis aguda por hiperplasia linfoidea tendrían menos complicaciones intraabdominales en el posoperatorio y podrían ser buenos candidatos a tratamiento médico solo con antibióticos, evitando la cirugía.

Background: Surgery is the traditional approach for patients with acute appendicitis. In the antibiotic era, new therapeutic paradigms are being proposed. The difference in the cause of appendicitis could establish the treatment of choice. Objective: to analyze if the presence of fecalith in an appendicitis can condition a surgical treatment or only with antibiotics. Material and methods: This observational analysis describes the intraoperative and pathological differences between patients undergoing surgery for acute appendicitis, divided into two groups according to the presence of fecalith or lymphoid hyperplasia as cause of the condition. The chi square test was used to compare the fecalith group versus the lymphoid hyperplasia group using a p value < 0.05. Results: The presence of fecaliths was more commonly associated with advanced stage of inflammation, presence of free peritoneal fluid (67% vs. 18% in the lymphoid hyperlasia group) and in more than one site (50% in the Douglas' pouch and 16.7% in the rest of the abdominal cavity). In this group, peritoneal fluid varied between serous and purulent and more appendiceal layers were involved (63.6% of mucous layer involvement in the lymphoid hyperplasia group vs. 16.7%, while serous compromise was more common in the fecalith group: 66.6% vs. 27.3%). Conclusions: Patients with acute appendicitis due to lymphoid hyperplasia could have lower rate of post-operative complications or could be good candidates for medical treatment with antibiotics alone, avoiding surgery.

Apendicolitiasis: revisión y serie clínica / Appendicolithiasis: Review and case series report

La presencia de cálculos (coprolitos, fecalitos o apendicolitos) en el lumen del apéndice cecal se denomina apendicolitiasis. Es un hallazgo frecuente, especialmente en niños, sometidos a apendicectomía por apendicitis aguda. También puede ser un hallazgo imagenológico en el estudio de un paciente por otro motivo. Históricamente se ha postulado la relación causal con apendicitis, pero la literatura reciente postula que el factor obstructivo adjudicado al apendicolito pareciera asociarse solo a la presencia de complicaciones y no ser un elemento causal de apendicitis aguda. Hasta el momento, no existe evidencia suficiente para plantear un manejo estandarizado ante el hallazgo de apendicolitiasis en pacientes asintomáticos. Presentamos cuatro casos clínicos de pacientes con apendicolitiasis, todos los cuales consultaron por dolor abdominal, descartándose cuadro agudo y fueron sometidos a cirugía diferida. El examen histopatológico de nuestros pacientes demostró en todos, algún grado de inflamación apendicular, reafirmando la necesidad de someter a cirugía los pacientes con apendicolitiasis sintomática. Se realiza una revisión bibliográfica del tema y las diferentes opciones ante al hallazgo de un coprolito apendicular.

The presence of calculi (coproliths, fecaliths or appendicoliths) in the appendiceal lumen is refered to as appendicolithiasis. It is a common finding, especially in pediatric patients undergoing surgery for acute appendicitis. Appendicolithiasis can also be a finding in patients undergoing diagnostic imaging tests for other conditions. Historically a casual relation has been considered between appendicolithiasis and appendicitis, but recent literature shows that the presence of an appendicolith is associated with complications but it is not the cause of appendicitis. So far, there is not enough evidence supporting a standarized treatment for patients with asymptomatic appendicolithiasis. We present four clinical cases and a review of relevant literature.

An Unexpected Increase in Adult Appendicitis in England (2000/01 to 2012/13): Could Cytomegalovirus (CMV) be Risk Factor?

Aims: To study the trends in admission for diseases of the appendix and to attempt to present a potential basis for the observed (complex) age-dependent trends and etiologies. Study Design: Longitudinal study of admissions relating to the appendix with analysis by age and gender. Place and Duration of Study: Admissions for diseases affecting the appendix for the residents of England over the period 2000/01 to 2012/13. Methodology: Retrospective application of age-standardized admission rates based on 2012/13 as the base year to determine what proportion of the increase in admissions is due to demography or to non-demographic forces. Synthesis of available literature covering diseases of the appendix to propose possible causes for the increase in admissions. Results: Based on admissions in 2012/13 diseases of the appendix cost the NHS in England around £107 million per annum (roughly £2 per head of population per annum). Admission rates peak at age 17 but have been increasing over the past 14 years in adults but not children. The rate of increase escalates with age and is more rapid in females. The trend for females shows far higher volatility than that for males and both show some degree of cyclic behavior. Depending on age, demographic change can only explain between 20% and 40% of the long-term increase. Social and health service factors are unlikely to explain this gap. Conclusion: An immune/infectious basis for increasing admission rates appears most likely. A possible role for the immune modulating herpes virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV), is discussed in the context of a potential linkage between infection with multiple agents (called the infectious burden) and the development of multiple morbidity. Both of which increase with age and are amenable to manipulation by CMV. The suggested mechanism may also provide insight into why the rates for admission of certain medical diagnoses are increasing far faster than due to demographic change.

Successful endoscopic treatment of fecalith blocking sinus in a patient with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis / Tratamento endoscópico bem-sucedido de fecálito bloqueando seio em paciente com anastomose bolsa ileal-anal

Background: Ulcerative colitis patients who underwent restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis can develop various mechanical complications. Among them is presacral sinus resulting from chronic anastomotic leak. Methods: We present a symptomatic patient with a large fecalith blocking the sinus which was successfully treated with Doppler ultrasound guided endoscopic needle knife sinusotomy along with fecalith extraction. Results: A 67-year-old female presented with a 4-month history of perianal pain and urgency. Pouchocopy showed a 3-cm deep wide-mouthed anastomotic sinus, the orifice of which was blocked by a large hard fecalith. Removal of the fecalith using RothNet, Tripod, or Basket were made but failed. Then needle knife was applied to cut the orifice to enlarge the opening of the sinus. One month later, the patient returned and the fecalith was successfully removed with two Baskets and two Rothnets. Six months after fecalith extraction, pouchoscopy showed a compartalized distal pouch sinus with two cavities, which was treated by two sessions of Doppler ultrasound guided endoscopic needle knife sinusotomy. Six months following the treatment, the sinus was completed healed. The patient tolerated all procedures well without any complication. Conclusion: Fecalith blocking pouch anastomotic sinus is a rare complication in patients with restorative proctocolectomy. In our case, this surgical complication was successfully treated with a carefully planned, stepwise endoscopy approach. (AU)

Experiênria: Pacientes com colite ulcerativa tratados por proctocolectomia restauradora com anastomose bolsa ileal-anal podem ser acometidos por diversas complicações mecânicas. Entre elas, cita-se o seio pré-sacral resultante de vazamento crônico pela anastomose. Métodos: Apresentamos uma paciente sintomática com um grande fecálito bloqueando o seio, com tratamento bem-sucedido com sinusotomia por bisturi-agulha guiado por ultrassom, juntamente com a extração do fecálito. Resultados: Mulher, 67 anos, apresentou-se com história de 4 meses de dor perianal e urgência. A avaliação endoscópica da bolsa ileal revelou um seio anastomótico com grande abertura situada a 3 cm de profundidade, cujo orifício estava bloqueado por um grande fecálito endurecido. Foi tentada sem sucesso a remoção do fecálito com a ajuda de Roth-Net, Tripod, ou cestos recuperadores. Depois dessas tentativas, aplicamos um bisturi-agulha com o objetivo de seccionar o orifício com vistas à ampliação da abertura do seio. Um mês depois, a paciente retornou, e o fecálito foi removido com sucesso com dois cestos recuperadores e dois RothNets. Transcorridos seis meses após a remoção do fecálito, uma avaliação endoscópica da bolsa ileal revelou um seio distal compartimentado com duas cavidades, tratado por duas sessões de sinusotomia endoscópica por bisturi-agulha guiado por ultrassom. Seis meses depois do tratamento, o seio estava completamente curado. A paciente tolerou satisfatoriamente todos os procedimentos, sem qualquer complicação. Conclusão: A presença de um fecálito bloqueando o seio anastomótico de bolsa ileal é complicação rara em pacientes submetidos a uma proctocolectomia restauradora. Em nosso caso, essa complicação cirúrgica foi tratada com sucesso com uma abordagem endoscópica em etapas, cuidadosamente planejada. (AU)

Laparoscopic Management of Appendiceal Intussusception Caused by Fecaliths

Appendiceal intussusception is a rare condition of abdominal pain. It develops as a result of various anatomic or pathologic conditions, such as polyps, worms, carcinomas, mucoceles, or fecaliths. Furthermore, an accurate preoperative diagnosis of appendiceal intussusception may be difficult. However, recently developed radiologic modalities, such as multidetector CT and laparoscopy, can considerably aid preoperative diagnosis and provide a means of adopting optimal minimally invasive surgery. Here, the authors describe the case of a 30-yr-old woman with the clinical features of acute appendicitis, who was preoperatively diagnosed as having appendiceal intussusception with fecaliths and who was managed by using a laparoscopic partial cecectomy.