Nissen fundoplication and combined procedures to reduce recurrence of gastroesophageal reflux disease in neurologically impaired children.

Neurologically impaired children account for almost half of the fundoplication procedures performed for gastroesophageal reflux disease. Aim of the present study was to report results of antireflux surgery in neurologically impaired children. A retrospective study of neurologically impaired children who underwent fundoplication over a 13-year period (1999-2012) was performed. Recurrence rate, major complications and parents/caregivers perceptions of their child's quality of life following antireflux surgery were analyzed. A total of 122 children (median age: 8 years 9 months; range: 3 months to 18 years) had open "tension-free" Nissen fundoplication, gastrostomy + /- pyloroplasty. Gastroesophageal reflux disease was in all cases documented by at least two diagnostic exams. Median duration of follow-up was 9.7 (1.9-13) years. Three (2.4%) recurrences were documented and required surgery re-do. Major complications were 6%. Seventy-nine of 87 (90%) caregivers reported that weight gain was improved after fundoplication with a median score of 1 (IQR: 1-2). Significant improvement was perceived in postoperative overall quality of life. In this series of fundoplication recurrence incidence was low, serious complications were uncommon and caregivers' satisfaction with surgery was high. Accurate patient's selection and creating a "low-pressure" surgical system are mandatory to obtain these results.

Appendiceal abscess and right ovarian teratoma: a rare association.

Many pediatric patients presenting to the Emergency Department with acute abdomen are subject to one or even more than one imaging modalities in order to determine the reason for the patient's symptoms. Most of the times, imaging can render an accurate diagnosis and help clinicians and surgeons for the decision making plan and further management. In some circumstances, image findings are equivocal, non specific or simply misinterpreted and a correct diagnosis cannot been made preoperatively. Authors present a unique case of an unexpected acute appendicitis found during surgical exploration performed in order to remove an ovarian tumor in an eight-year-old girl.

Neonatal adrenal hemorrhage mimicking an acute scrotum.

Twenty-two cases of scrotal hematoma caused by neonatal adrenal hemorrhage are reported in the literature and unnecessary surgical exploration was performed in nine (41%), suspecting testicular torsion. In this paper, we present a newborn male with right adrenal gland hemorrhage causing right scrotal swelling and discoloration of groin managed conservatively.

Subinguinal microsurgical ligation--its effectiveness in pediatric and adolescent varicocele.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment of varicocele using a microsurgical vein ligation approach is a successful procedure when applied to adult patients. We performed this procedure in prepubertal and pubertal patients in order to verify its feasibility and effectiveness in a younger population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between January 1998 and December 1999, 46 patients (average age 13 years) were operated on for a left varicocele using a microsurgical selective vein ligation procedure. All patients were evaluated clinically and using color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS): 34/46 patients were classified clinically as grade III and the remaining 12 as grade II. We used a magnification loupe (x3) in 34/46 patients and an operating microscope (x 10-16) in the remaining 12. RESULTS: The procedure was successful in all but one patient (2.1%) who showed recurrence of the disease at the time of the first postoperative follow-up CDUS scan and required a repeat procedure. The average operative times were 45 and 60 min for loupe and microscopic procedures, respectively. In three cases (6.5%), early postoperative complications (wound infection and transient hydrocele) occurred and quickly resolved. All the patients were discharged within 24 h, returned to normal daily life within 2 days and resumed physical and sporting activities within 1 week. CONCLUSION: Subinguinal "artery- and lymphatic-sparing" microsurgical varicocelectomy, considered the gold standard treatment in adults, also proved to be successful in this preliminary experience with pediatric patients. The minimally invasive approach ensures the prevention of recurrences and/or postoperative complications, and is associated with a very low morbidity rate.

[Ascariasis as a cause of acute abdomen: a case report]. / Ascaridiasi come possibile causa di addome acuto anche in Italia: presentazione di un caso clinico.

Ascaris Lumbricoides Infestation (ALI) is one of the most common helmintic disease of the gastrointestinal tract, and may cause severe surgical complications, especially in children. ALI is frequent in tropical and subtropical countries. We present our experience with a case of a 5-years old pakistan girl treated in Italy for acute abdomen in which ALI was detected during surgical exploration.

Fetal monolateral urinoma and neonatal renal function outcome in posterior urethral valves obstruction: the pop-off mechanism.

The "fetal urinoma" is a clinical and diagnostic entity due to urinary extravasation, early diagnosed in fetal and/or neonatal period. Both urinoma and urinary ascites, whose pathogenesis is not clear, are recognized associations of uterero-pelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) and neonatal posterior urethral valves (PUV) related with a protected fetal and neonatal renal function. Clinical and experimental studies have demonstrated that fetal urinary tract obstruction results in severe renal parenchymal injury. The so called "pop-off" valve mechanism has been advocated to justify the upper tract function preservation. Protective "pop-off" mechanisms, such as a unilateral reflux and dysplasia, urinary extravasation and congenital bladder diverticula are present in about 30% of patients with PUV. Their presence correlates with better overall long-term renal function. This mechanism has been justified as a sort of self derivation, to explain the renal function preservation in fetal and neonatal period. In the last two years we observed three cases of fetal monolateral urinoma, prenatally detected in fetuses with diagnosis of PUV. All three cases did well for that concerning renal function despite some current opinions suggesting the necessity of a bilateral urinary extravasation in order to preserve upper urinary tract function.

Systemic acute-phase response after laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Cytokines are the main mediators of inflammation and the response to trauma. The purpose of this study was to compare variations in cytokine levels following laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and mini-laparotomy cholecystectomy (OC), since these two types of operations were considered to be a unique model for examining the role of local tissue injury in postoperative inflammatory reactions. METHODS: A total of 40 patients were studied. Eighteen of them underwent LC; the remaining 22 were operated on using the open technique. Systemic concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured before and after the operation. In addition, we compared pre- and postoperative white blood cell (WBC) counts, postoperative body temperature, and length of postoperative hospitalization. RESULTS: There was no difference between the two groups in IL-1 and TNF response. The rise in plasma IL-6 levels (18.86 +/- 9.61 vs 5.00 +/- 0.0 pg/ml, p < 0.0001) and CRP (8.40 +/- 5.81 vs 1.43 +/- 1.30 mg/dl, p < 0.001) were more marked after open cholecystectomy than after the laparoscopic procedure. There was no correlation between serum CRP concentrations and the other postoperative parameters. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of the acute-phase response was less pronounced following laparoscopic cholecystectomy, consistent with a reduction in tissue trauma.