Quality of life and defecative function 10 years or longer after posterior sagittal anorectoplasty and laparoscopic-assisted anorectal pull-through for anorectal malformation.

PURPOSE: In our center, patients with anorectal malformation, including males with recto-vesical (RV)/recto-bladder neck (RBN)/recto-prostatic urethral (RU) fistulas, and females with recto-vaginal (RV) fistulas have been treated by posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP) before 2000, and by laparoscopic-assisted anorectal pull-through (LAARP) thereafter. We would like to compare the quality of life (QOL) and long-term defecative function between these two groups of patients 10 years after reconstructive surgery. METHODS: Patients who underwent LAARP between 2001 and 2005 were compared with historical controls treated with PSARP between 1996 and 2000. Degrees of continence were graded by the Krickenbeck classification and Kelly's score. QOL was assessed by Hirschsprung's disease/Anorectal Malformation Quality of Life (HAQL) questionnaire. Results were compared using Chi-square test and t test. RESULTS: There were 14 LAARP and 7 PSARP patients. All attained voluntary bowel movements. Moderate to severe soiling (Krickenbeck Grade 2 and 3) was found in 3/14 LAARP (21.4%) and 1/7 PSARP (14.3%) patients, p = 1.00. Constipation requiring use of laxatives was present in 3/14 LAARP (28.6%) and 1/7 PSARP (14.3%) patients, p = 0.62. Mean Kelly's scores were 3.79 ± 0.98 (LAARP) and 4.71 ± 1.25 (PSARP), p = 0.12. No patient required Malone antegrade continence enema (MACE). The QOL scores based on the HAQL questionnaire were comparable between the two groups in all areas except social functioning, in which the LAARP patients attained a significantly lower mean score (26.4 vs 71.7, p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The 10-year outcome between LAARP and PSARP patients in terms of QOL and defecative function is comparable. Impairment in social functioning in these patients is reflected by the self-reported lower level of functioning.

Jaundice in infants and children: causes, diagnosis, and management.

Jaundice is caused by an accumulation of bilirubin in the blood. The presentation in infants and children can be indicative of a wide range of conditions, with some self-limiting and others potentially life-threatening. This article aims to provide a concise review of the common medical and surgical causes in children and discuss their diagnosis and management.

Acute appendicitis presenting as pneumoperitoneum in a teenage boy undergoing chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy of paediatric haematological malignancies can induce infectious complications of the gastrointestinal tract, with predilection of the ileocaecal region. Common causes of right lower abdominal pain in the febrile patient with neutropaenia include acute appendicitis, typhlitis, ileus and intussusception. In this case report, we describe a teenage boy with acute appendicitis presenting with pneumoperitoneum during his course of chemotherapy. The incidence, aetiology, diagnosis, investigations and management of this uncommon presentation in a common disease are discussed. The controversial topic of the management of acute appendicitis in a febrile patient with neutropaenia is also reviewed and discussed.

Nonlinear 3D projection printing of concave hydrogel microstructures for long-term multicellular spheroid and embryoid body culture.

Long-term culture and monitoring of individual multicellular spheroids and embryoid bodies (EBs) remains a challenge for in vitro cell propagation. Here, we used a continuous 3D projection printing approach - with an important modification of nonlinear exposure - to generate concave hydrogel microstructures that permit spheroid growth and long-term maintenance, without the need for spheroid transfer. Breast cancer spheroids grown to 10 d in the concave structures showed hypoxic cores and signs of necrosis using immunofluorescent and histochemical staining, key features of the tumor microenvironment in vivo. EBs consisting of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) grown on the hydrogels demonstrated narrow size distribution and undifferentiated markers at 3 d, followed by signs of differentiation by the presence of cavities and staining of the three germ layers at 10 d. These findings demonstrate a new method for long-term (e.g. beyond spheroid formation at day 2, and with media exchange) 3D cell culture that should be able to assist in cancer spheroid studies as well as embryogenesis and patient-derived disease modeling with iPSC EBs.

Pneumatosis intestinalis presenting as pneumoperitoneum in a teenage girl with pyloric stenosis.

A 16-year-old girl presented with free gas under the diaphragm after endoscopic balloon dilation for pyloric stenosis. There was no perforation site identified on laparotomy. However, there was massive pneumatosis intestinalis involving the entire small bowel.

The value of the 24-h delayed abdominal radiograph of barium enema in the diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease.

AIM OF STUDY: The objective of this study is to determine the diagnostic value of the 24-h delayed film for Hirschsprung's disease (HD). Other features of the barium enema were also examined, in particular the correlation between the radiological transition zone (TZ) and the final pathology. METHODS: All patients with suspected HD from 2003 to 2013 who had undergone barium enema and rectal biopsy were reviewed retrospectively to study the correlation between radiological features of barium enema with the final diagnosis as well as severity. RESULTS: A total of 182 patients were admitted for suspected HD during the study period, of which 82 had both investigations done. 68 patients had radiological features suggestive of the disease and ultimately, 12 patients had the disease confirmed with rectal biopsy. Among those without radiological features of HD, 2 patients were found to have the disease. Thus, the sensitivity of the 24-h delayed film was 85.7 % and the specificity was 17.6 %. The positive predictive value (PPV) of this test was 20.6 % and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 85.7 %. Regarding the level of TZ, it was not detected in the barium enema in 7 (50 %) out of the 14 patients. For those with the presence of TZ, 6 (85.7 %) of them correlated well with the intra-operative findings and 4 (57.1 %) of them correlated well with the final histology. CONCLUSION: The 24-h delayed film of barium enema has a high NPV and is useful to rule out HD. However, rectal biopsy is still suggested for disease confirmation given its low PPV. Lastly, once present, the level of radiological TZ is also a useful predictor for the actual disease involvement.

Thoracoscopic resection of congenital cystic lung lesions is associated with better post-operative outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of congenital cystic lung lesions has been increasing in recent years due to better antenatal detection. With the introduction and maturation of thoracoscopy, the operative management for these lesions has seen advancement in the last decade. In this study, we aimed to compare the post-operative outcomes of patients who had thoracoscopic resection with those who underwent open resection. METHODS: A retrospective review of all patients who underwent surgery for congenital cystic lung lesions between January 1996 and June 2012 in a tertiary referral center was conducted. Patients' demographics, operative procedures and post-operative outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients were identified over the past 15 years. Thirty-nine patients had thoracoscopic resections and 28 had open resections. Thirteen patients in the thoracoscopic group required conversion. Both groups had similar demographics in terms of age, body weight and laterality of lesions. The mean operative time and blood loss in the two groups were comparable. Patients in the thoracoscopic group had significantly shorter duration of chest tube drainage (4.3 vs. 6.9 days, p = 0.004), shorter intensive care unit stay (2.5 vs. 5.9 days, p = 0.003) and shorter hospital stay (6.9 vs. 12.0 days, p < 0.001). Post-operative complication rate was similar between the two groups. Patients with body weight less than 5 kg showed a significantly higher conversion to open surgery as compared to those with body weight more than 5 kg (62.5 vs. 25.8 %, p = 0.049). CONCLUSION: Successful thoracoscopic resection for congenital cystic lung lesions results in better post-operative outcomes. However, this technique remains technically challenging in patients with body weight less than 5 kg.

Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in premature neonates: is it safe?

OBJECTIVE: With advances in clinical medicine, many premature babies nowadays can have excellent survival outcomes. As the incidence of inguinal hernias in this group is high and there is scarce data in the literature regarding the optimal timing for repair, this study aims to review our experience in laparoscopic repair in premature infants. METHODS: In our centre, premature neonates with inguinal hernia noted during hospitalization were offered laparoscopic repair when the body weights reached 2.5 kg unless there is contraindication for laparoscopy. A retrospective review was carried out for all premature neonates who underwent laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair from 2001 to 2011. The operative results, complications, incarceration risk and postoperative apnea risk were recorded. RESULT: A total of 79 premature neonates received laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair during this period. The mean gestational age at birth was 31.9 weeks (27-36 weeks) and the mean gestational age at operation was 46.5 weeks (33-92 weeks). One patient had incarceration and required emergency operation while waiting for the elective repair. The mean operative time was 44.9 min (25-93 min). One patient (1.3 %) had recurrence. No postoperative apnea was noted in any patient. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic hernia repair is safe and feasible in premature neonates when they attain reasonable body size, as long as there is excellent anaesthesia support. Low risk of incarceration was noted in this study and it is worth waiting for the body weight to build up and hence facilitate laparoscopic repair.

Thoracoscopic repair of oesophageal atresia: experience of 33 patients from two tertiary referral centres.

BACKGROUND: With advances in minimally invasive surgery, thoracoscopic repair of oesophageal atresia has become popular in many centres worldwide and indeed has been described as the pinnacle of neonatal surgery. Here, we report our experience in two tertiary referral centres. METHODS: Thoracoscopic technique was introduced in 2007. Thus, a retrospective review of all patients diagnosed with oesophageal atresia was carried out. Patients who had thoracoscopic repair were included, and those who had open repair due to co-morbidities were excluded. Patient demographics, operative data, complications, and associated anomalies were noted. RESULTS: A total of thirty-three patients underwent thoracoscopic repair during the time period. Thirty-one were successfully repaired thoracoscopically. Two patients had conversions due to intra-operative instability. The mean body weight of the neonates was 2.58 kg. The mean operative time was 146 min. Three patients suffered from minor anastomotic leaks, which healed on conservative management. Seven patients had anastomotic strictures, which responded successfully to endoscopic dilatation. Two patients died in the post-operative period due to pneumonia. One patient had a recurrent fistula 3 months after the primary repair, and he subsequently underwent a successful second repair. CONCLUSIONS: In experienced hands, thoracoscopic repair of oesophageal atresia is at least as good as open surgery but with less surgical trauma. Standard of post-operative care contributes significantly to post-operative outcome. Thoracoscopic technique is now our preferred approach.

Performing Kasai portoenterostomy beyond 60 days of life is not necessarily associated with a worse outcome.

The introduction of Kasai portoenterostomy has dramatically improved the management and survival of children with biliary atresia. The success rate of this operation worldwide varies with different centers. In this respect, many authors have studied the correlation of a successful outcome with various factors, such as the experience and workload of the surgical center, the use of postoperative steroids, the underlying biliary anatomy, as well as the age of patients at the time of the operation. Indeed, the age of 60 days has been used by clinicians as a critical time beyond which the rate of success of the Kasai operation markedly reduces. Despite this worldwide adoption, clear evidence supporting this critical operative time is still lacking. We undertook a review of our experience in the management of children with biliary atresia and focused specifically on the issue of the timing of operation. We showed that performing the Kasai operation beyond the age of 60 days was not associated with a worse outcome and that a high percentage of patients could still achieve good bile flow with normal bilirubin postoperatively. Thus, we believe that until the age of 100 days, the age of the patients does not play a significant role in determining the success of the Kasai operation.

The first report of a single-port laparoscopic nephrectomy in a child.

There has been an exponential rise in the use of minimally invasive procedures in surgery, with obvious benefits to patients. Recently, transumbilical single-port laparoscopic surgery has been championed as the next major technical advance. In this article, we report the first case where single-port laparoscopic surgery has been used to manage a paediatric problem in the region.

Clinical experience in managing pediatric patients with ultra-short bowel syndrome using omega-3 fatty acid.

Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) remains an important component of the management of short bowl syndrome in pediatric patients. However, prolonged TPN is known to be associated with cholestasis. Recently, the use of omega-3-fatty acid (Omegaven) has been proposed to improve TPN cholestasis. We present the early outcome after administration of Omegaven in four patients with ultra-short bowel syndrome. Based on our experience, it appears that omega-3 fatty acid can reverse and prevent the advent of TPN-related cholestasis, thereby significantly improving the process of intestinal adaptation. We suggest that clinicians consider this treatment option before proceeding to invasive surgery to reverse cholestasis. Prospective randomized trials are necessary to define a standard protocol and elucidate other potential benefits of this novel agent.

Laparoscopic hernioplasties in children: the implication on contralateral groin exploration for unilateral inguinal hernias.

BACKGROUND: Inguinal hernias are commonly seen in the paediatric population. Controversies still exist regarding the need for contralateral groin exploration when an unilateral inguinal hernia is presented, since the true incidence of contralateral patent processus vaginalis is not known. With the advent of laparoscopic hernioplasty, the status of the contralateral side can be evaluated at the same setting. Here, we describe our experience in this issue after the introduction of laparoscopic hernioplasty in our unit. METHODS: A retrospective review was carried out between October 2002 and January 2008. All patients presented with unilateral inguinal hernias were included. The demographics of the patients and the operative findings at laparoscopy were recorded. Statistics were performed using Student t-test or chi(2) test as appropriate and p < 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. RESULTS: During the study period, 363 children were included in our study, of which there were 292 males and 71 females. 212 patients presented with right-sided hernias and 151 were left-sided. The mean age of patients at presentation was 48.8 months. The incidence of contralateral PPV overall was 39.7%. There was no decrease in incidence of having a contralateral inguinal hernia in relation to age. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopy can accurately diagnose contralateral PPV in children who undergo unilateral inguinal hernia repair and thus holds an advantage over open herniotomy. Furthermore, there should not be an age criteria for contralateral exploration for surgeons who perform open herniotomy.

Streptococcus suis infection in Hong Kong: an emerging infectious disease?

We conducted a 31-month retrospective review of all laboratory-confirmed Streptococcus suis infections admitted to public hospitals in Hong Kong. Strain identification, serotyping and antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted on S. suis isolates. Twenty-one sporadic cases were identified, comprising 18 (86%) males and 3 (14%) females. About half were patients aged 65 years. More cases occurred during summer. Occupational exposure was documented in five (24%) cases. The estimated annual incidence was 0.09/100 000 in the general population and 32/100 000 in people with occupational exposure to pigs and raw pork. The primary clinical manifestations were meningitis (48%), septicaemia (38%) and endocarditis (14%). The case-fatality rate was 5%. All available isolates from 15 patients were serotype 2, sensitive to penicillin, ampicillin, ceftriaxone, but resistant to tetracycline. Injury prevention and proper handling of pigs or raw pork should be advocated to both at-risk occupational groups and the general population.

Association of ICAM3 genetic variant with severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Genetic polymorphisms have been demonstrated to be associated with vulnerability to human infection. ICAM3, an intercellular adhesion molecule important for T cell activation, and FCER2 (CD23), an immune response gene, both located on chromosome 19p13.3, were investigated for host genetic susceptibility and association with clinical outcome. A case-control study based on 817 patients with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), 307 health care worker control subjects, 290 outpatient control subjects, and 309 household control subjects unaffected by SARS from Hong Kong was conducted to test for genetic association. No significant association to susceptibility to SARS infection caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was found for the FCER2 and the ICAM3 single nucleotide polymorphisms. However, patients with SARS homozygous for ICAM3 Gly143 showed significant association with higher lactate dehydrogenase levels (P=.0067; odds ratio [OR], 4.31 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.37-13.56]) and lower total white blood cell counts (P=.022; OR, 0.30 [95% CI, 0.10-0.89]) on admission. These findings support the role of ICAM3 in the immunopathogenesis of SARS.

Size-dependent surface CO stretching frequency investigations on nanodiamond particles.

In this work, the spectroscopic properties of surface functionalized nanodiamond particles are investigated via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The functionalization of the nanodiamond surface was achieved chemically using strong acid treatment method. The size dependent C=O stretching frequency (between 1680 and 1820 cm(-1)) are studied for particle diameter sizes from the 5 to 500 nm range. The surface C=O stretching frequencies at approximately 1820 cm(-1), for large particle size (500 nm), down shifted to 1725 cm(-1) (5 nm) with decreasing particle sizes. We attributed the shift as a result of hydrogen bond formation between the COOH groups in the carboxylated nanodiamond surfaces. Particle size was characterized with dynamic light scattering method and surface morphology of the particles was investigated with scanning electron microscopy. The influence of pH value on C=O stretching frequency is also analyzed. This finding affords useful information for the studying of surface functionalized nanodiamonds with implications for their interaction with biomolecules.