Maternal Preeclampsia and a Preterm Neonate With Small Bowel Stenosis, Volvulus, and Severe Intrauterine Growth Restriction.

Preeclampsia is a human-specific hypertensive disorder of gestation. It is associated with short-term adverse effects in the fetus and long-term complications in the neonate, mainly due to disrupted blood flow during critical periods of intrauterine development. An ischemic event in the uterus can affect many systems of the fetus, including a small bowel involvement. We present a case of a preterm, small for gestational age neonate with severe intrauterine growth restriction, small bowel stenosis, and volvulus without malrotation, born to a mother with severe preeclampsia.

Laparoscopic-Assisted Anorectoplasty for Anorectal Malformation With Recto-Prostatic Urethral Fistula: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Congenital recto-urethral fistula is the most common form of anorectal malformation found in boys. The final repair includes the ligation of the fistula and the anorectoplasty, and can be achieved either way: posterior sagitally or laparoscopically. We present a case of a term male infant diagnosed with anorectal malformation and recto-prostatic urethral fistula, that underwent a laparoscopic-assisted posterior sagittal anorectoplasty in our department.

Classification systems of acute appendicitis as an indicator for paediatric surgical consultation of children with acute abdominal pain.

AIM: This study examined if the classification systems for acute appendicitis could be applied in the emergency department as an indicator for surgical consultation, in order to reduce unnecessary paediatric surgery admission. METHODS: The Alvarado Score (ALS) and the Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS) were applied. The decisions for hospitalisation and treatment were made independent of the scores. RESULTS: In total, 307 children with abdominal pain suggestive of acute appendicitis were included. We used a cut-off point of 7 and divided the patients into groups; the group with score ≥ 7 points was considered the positive ALS and/or PAS group, and the group with score < 7 points was the negative ALS and/or PAS group. The same process for cut-values set at 6 points was followed. The joint probabilities for the 7-point-thresholds were: ALS-sensitivity 84%, PAS-sensitivity 85%, ALS-specificity 92%, PAS-specificity 92%, ALS-positive predictive value (PPV) 83%, PAS-PPV 84% and 93% negative predictive value (NPV) for both scores. Considering the 6-point-thresholds, we estimated: 94% sensitivity for both scores, 74% ALS-specificity, 84% PAS-specificity, 66% ALS-PPV, 73% PAS-PPV, 91% ALS-NPV and 97% PAS-NPV. CONCLUSION: The scoring systems provided acceptable prediction of patients with and without appendicitis. They may be of use in the emergency department, as assistive diagnostic-tools, in order to reduce paediatric surgery consultations, admissions and treatment costs.

Partial epididymal rupture and spermatic cord haematoma with an associated secondary testicular torsion due to blunt scrotal injury, in a 12-year-old boy.

Scrotal injuries are not very common in children and are mostly due to blunt trauma from direct injury, sports injuries or motor vehicle accidents. Traumatic testicular torsion in children has been also infrequently reported in the literature. To ensure testicular salvage, an urgent and specialised diagnosis and management are necessary. We present a case of a partial epididymal rupture and spermatic cord haematoma with an associated secondary testicular torsion due to blunt scrotal injury, in a 12-year-old boy.

Asymptomatic autoamputation of ovary and fallopian tube in a 2 days newborn: a case report.

Automatic amputation of the ovary represents a rather uncommon condition. Especially asymptomatic autoamputation is an even more unusual laparoscopic finding. We hereby present a case of a 2-days´-old infant with a prenatal ultrasound (US) diagnosis of a cystic mass, laparoscopically proved as an amputated right adnexa. The female infant was asymptomatic and had normal laboratory exams, including hormone levels, according to her age. The infant was managed surgically, as the size of the cystic lesion, both prenatally and postnatally was indicative of surgical intervention. Careful monitoring is critical for the management of cystic lesions diagnosed prenatally. Although rare, the suspicion of an auto-amputated ovary has to be risen during diagnostic approach of infants with adnexal cysts, especially when these lesions are supposed to "wander" during imaging examinations, and also taking into account the size of the lesion in order for a final approach and management to be established.

Crush syndrome in a case of severe infant physical abuse: a case report.

Crush syndrome, also known as traumatic rhabdomyolysis, is the result of the disruption of skeletal muscle fibers with the release of intracellular contents into the bloodstream. Although trauma is the main trigger for rhabdomyolysis in adults, in the pediatric population viral infections and inherited disorders seem to be the most frequent causes. Only a few reports in the literature mention rhabdomyolysis secondary to non-accidental pediatric trauma. We herein report an unusual case of traumatic rhabdomyolysis, following significant physical abuse in an infant. Rhabdomyolysis should be suspected in children presenting with a history of excessive blunt trauma, because a prompt diagnosis and treatment prevent from the potential life-threatening consequences.

Right sided Bochdalek diaphragmatic hernia appeared as a life-threatening event in an infant: a case report.

We report a case of a 5-month-old female infant who presented with a cardiorespiratory distress and shock. After thoracic computed tomography (CT) scan, a right sided Bochdalek hernia was diagnosed with massive herniation of the abdominal viscera causing mediastinal shift. The girl underwent emergency laparotomy, which confirmed the right sided diaphragmatic hernia with herniation of small bowel and colon. After reduction of herniated contents, the defect in the diaphragm was closed. The patient had an uneventful post-operative cause. This case demonstrates that an undiagnosed Bochdalek hernia can appear with such a severe, life-threatening and misleading presentation.

Frontal bone fibrous dysplasia in a 6-months-old boy: A distinctive entity.

Fibrous Dysplasia (FD) is a non-malignant condition caused by post-zygotic, activating mutations of the GNAS gene that results in inhibition of the differentiation and proliferation of bone-forming stromal cells and leads to the replacement of normal bone and marrow by fibrous tissue and woven bone. The clinical behavior and progression of FD is variable. The management of this condition is difficult and in every case is strictly individualized. We report a case of frontal fibrous dysplasia in a 6month's old boy who underwent a successfully resection of the lesion with an excellent cosmetic effect.

A neonate with intrauterine growth restriction and pseudo-Bartter syndrome due to severe maternal eating disorder: A case report.

Maternal diet before and during pregnancy plays an important role for the developing fetus. Any eating disorder in this period can cause transient or/and permanent negative effects on the mother and her offspring.

Incarcerated Umbilical Hernia in a 14-Month-Old Female: A Rare Case of Bowel Strangulation.

An umbilical hernia, although considered a benign condition of childhood, may rarely manifest with serious complications such as incarceration and viscous organ strangulation. One such case is presented in this report in an attempt to enrich the current literature, due to the relative lack of data in regard to complicated umbilical hernias in children and definite guidelines regarding the monitoring and management of uncomplicated cases. In addition, we discuss some of the latest advancements concerning the matter at issue.

Testis-Sparing Surgery for Non-Palpable Leydig Cell Tumors in Prepubertal Children.

Leydig cell tumor (LCT) is an infrequent stromal neoplasm of the testis with an incidence of less than 3% of all gonadal tumors in the general male population. Only 25% is found in prepubertal children, where Leydig cell tumors are always reported benign. The hospital records of two prepubertal male children, who underwent organ sparing surgery for testicular LCT the last five years, were retrospectively reviewed. In both of them, the lesion was incidentally found during a scrotal ultrasonography for testicular pain. The diagnosis of a benign LCT was based on the pre-operative physical examination and imaging (Ultrasound-US, Magnetic Resonance Imaging-MRI) as well as the negative tumor markers. A testicle-sparing procedure was decided and the pathologic examination of the surgical specimen confirmed the diagnosis. No tumor recurrence was noted on follow-up. Testis-sparing surgery provides the possibility of complete excision of such lesions and should be considered as the treatment of choice.

Is it always Wilms' tumor? Localized cystic disease of the kidney in an infant: An extremely rare case report and review of the literature.

Localized Cystic Disease of the Kidney (LCDK) is an extremely rare benign disease in pediatric population. Although its management is conservative and generally requires no treatment, the unfamiliarity with the disease can expose such patients to misdiagnosis as renal malignancies or uncertainty for proper treatment. We report such a case in an infant and review the current literature.

Traumatic perineal injury in a 13-year-old female: Case report and review of the literature.

Traumatic perineal injury in children is a rather underestimated condition, in terms of occurrence. The rapid stretching of the soft perineal environment, combined with the surrounding osseous tissue of the pelvis, can cause severe injuries. The key to successful management of these injuries includes timely resuscitation, thorough physical examination and quick and safe repair of damages.

Injury of the external genitalia in 10-year-old boy.

Degloving injury of penis and scrotum is very rare in child population and requires early reconstructive surgery for good outcomes. We report a 10-year-old boy with complete avulsion of the scrotum and partial of the penis caused by a bicycle chain due to off-road bicycling. The patient has been treated successfully with a single-staged surgery.

Intercostal leiomyoma in a child: review of the literature.

Leiomyomas of the chest wall are very rare. In a review of the current literature twelve cases were found, of which only one concerns of an intercostal leiomyoma of the chest wall. We report a case of 1 year old male child with intercostal leiomyoma who presented with a painless rigid swelling of the right chest wall. The radiological control revealed a solid mass in the right anterior sixth intercostal space. En-bloc excision of the mass by abrading of the sixth rib through right anterior thoracotomy was performed. Histopatological analysis showed a localized intercostal leiomyoma. The patient has a close follow-up for 6 months without evidence of recurrence. This is the first case of a primary intercostal leiomyoma in a child which was excised totally without reconstruction of the chest wall.

Diagnostic and Surgical Approach of Thyroglossal Duct Cyst in Children: Ten Years Data Review.

INTRODUCTION: Thyroglossal duct cysts are the most common congenital midline neck swelling in children. AIM: To evaluate the clinical features, treatment, incidence of complications and outcomes in children with congenital midline neck lesions and more specifically with thyroglossal duct cyst, treated in our department the last ten years. It is a retrospective study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aggregated data revealed 59 patients with congenital midline neck lesions, of which 33 patients were with thyroglossal duct cyst (TDC). The diagnosis of TDC was made by physical examination, ultrasound (US) in all cases, and for complicated cases a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed. In all cases followed histopathological conformation of thyroglossal duct cyst. RESULTS: Fifty nine patients were admitted with midline cystic neck mass and the histopathological evaluation revealed, 33 cases (55.9%) of thyroglossal duct cyst, 14 cases (23.7%) of dermoid cysts, 3 cases (5.1%) of second branchial anomalies, 4 cases (6.7%) of inflammation of unknown cause, 4 cases (6.7%) of lymph nodes and 1 case (1.7%) of capillary skin haemangioma. More specifically, 38 patients were admitted with preoperative diagnosis of thyroglossal duct cyst, but in 5 patients pathological investigation demonstrated the presence of dermoid cyst. The mean age of the 33 patients with TDC at the time of surgery was 6.125 years, ranging between 9 months and 13 years with 10 patients younger than 3 years. Of the 38 patients with initial diagnosis of thyroglossal duct cyst, only four patients (10.5%) had a simple cyst excision and complication rate was 25% (1 case with recurrence). In these patients, the histopathological examination showed that three of them had a dermoid cyst and one had thyroglossal duct cyst. The other 34 patients (89.4%) were treated by Sistrunk's procedure, with two cases (5.9%) were proven on histology to be non TDC. In this group the complication rate was 3.03% (1 case with wound infection). CONCLUSION: The inappropriate surgical approach due to misdiagnosis or the incomplete surgical procedure remains the impact factor for recurrence. The modification of Sistrunk's procedure remains the main surgical technique that can provides good results with low rate of complication (3.03%) and recurrence (0%) as shown of our collecting data.

Carcinoid tumors of the appendix - last decade experience.

INTRODUCTION: Carcinoid of the appendix is a rare clinical entity in childhood and usually has a good clinical outcome. The impact of the operative preparations appendix ranges between 0.1-0.9%. The aim of our study is to report the experiences of our department in the management of appendiceal carcinoid tumors in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data of all patients aged 15 y or less who underwent appendectomy at the 2nd Department of Pediatric Surgery of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki between January 2004 and February 2014 were evaluated for the existence of appendiceal carcinoid tumors in pathological specimens. The collected data included: gender, patient's age, clinical indications and surgical intervention, tumor localization in the appendix and the diameter of lesion, histological type of the tumor and postoperative care (follow up) of patients. RESULTS: Four cases (3 girls, 1 boy) with carcinoid treated at our department during a 10 y period. Median patient age was 10.75 y (9- 12 y). In all cases the diagnosis was after appendectomy on ground of acute appendicitis. A single incident brought findings of gangrenous appendicitis. In three cases the tumor's diameter was smaller than 1cm, while the incident with the gangrenous appendicitis was larger than 1cm in diameter. In four cases the tumor was localized at the apex of the appendix without extending to the surrounding tissues. In all patients with carcinoid tumor followed a further testing based on specific monitoring protocol. In no case was residual or metastatic disease identified and no further treatment was required. No relapse was observed during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our study confirms the good prognosis of appendiceal carcinoid.