[ role of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in infants]

ABSTRACT

The author reports the results of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in 88 vomiting infants. 47 infants had pyloric stenosis confirmed by surgery. Among these patients, echography was in favour of pyloric stenosis in 34 cases [72,4%] and negative in 13 cases [27,6%]. In 41 cases, no pyloric olive could be demonstrated ultrasonically. The upper gastrointestinal tract series confirmed the absence of pyloric stenosis in these infants, and visualised a gastrooesophageal reflux in 6 cases. Thus the reliability of echography in this sery was 85,2% with 27,6% false negative but no false positive. The author makes a conclusion concerning the place of Ultrasonography in the diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in infants. He proposes an algorythm of practical decision when suspecting an hypertrophic pyloric stenosis