How to avoid unnecessary surgical treatment for neonatal small left colon syndrome.

We report a case of neonatal small left colon syndrome (NSLCS) that underwent surgery. A female infant was born at 38 weeks of gestation. The mother had gestational diabetes requiring insulin therapy. The baby was admitted for respiratory distress. Abdominal distension was observed, and the gastric residue increased. Contrast enema revealed a small caliber of the left colon up to the splenic flexure. At 14 days, the full-thickness biopsy of the sigmoid and transverse colons was performed. Pathological diagnosis showed that the sigmoid colon had few ganglion cells, therefore the transverse colostomy was performed. At 6 months of age, a rectal biopsy was performed to confirm the diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease; the intestinal plexus and ganglion cells were normal. The surgery was changed from a pull-through to a stoma closure. The postoperative diagnosis was NSLCS, and the course up to 3 years was good without defecation or growth problems.

The neovascularization effect of dedifferentiated fat cells.

Mature adipocyte-derived dedifferentiated fat (DFAT) cells can be prepared efficiently and with minimal invasiveness to the donor. They can be utilized as a source of transplanted cells during therapy. Although the transplantation of DFAT cells into an ischemic tissue enhances angiogenesis and increases vascular flow, there is little information regarding the mechanism of the therapeutic angiogenesis. To further study this, mice ischemic hindlimb model was used. It was confirmed that in comparison with the adipose derived stem cells and fibroblasts, the transplantation of DFAT cells led to a significant improvement in the blood flow and increased mature blood vessel density. The ability of DFAT cells to secrete angiogenic factors in hypoxic conditions and upon co-culture with vascular endothelial cells was then examined. Furthermore, we examined the possibility that DFAT cells differentiating into pericytes. The therapeutic angiogenic effects of DFAT cells were observed by the secretion of angiogenic factors and pericyte differentiation by transforming growth factor ß1 signalling via Smad2/3. DFAT cells can be prepared with minimal invasiveness and high efficiency and are expected to become a source of transplanted cells in the future of angiogenic cell therapy.

Effectiveness of Interval Appendectomy After Conservative Treatment of Pediatric Ruptured Appendicitis with Abscess.

The management of patients with acute perforated appendicitis with abscess is controversial. The aim of the present study was to assess the outcomes of treatment in patients with this condition. We retrospectively analyzed 31 patients (16 men and 15 women with a mean age of 8.4 years) with appendicitis presenting with abscess. Patients were divided into two groups (emergency operation group and interval operation group), and clinical characteristics and outcomes of treatment were investigated. On presentation, no differences in gender, age, body weight, duration of symptoms, temperature, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein level, or maximum size of the abscess in the axial view were detected between the two groups. Fifteen patients (48.4 %) underwent emergency surgery. The remaining 16 patients (51.6 %) were initially treated conservatively with antibiotics. All 16 patients underwent planned operations after receiving conservative treatment, and two (12.5 %) of these patients underwent appendectomy before the planned operation day because of recurrent appendicitis without abscess. There were no differences in the length of hospital stay. In the emergency operation group, six (40 %) patients presented with wound infection and four (26.7 %) developed a postoperative intra-abdominal abscess. No infective complications were reported in the interval operation group. Interval appendectomy after conservative treatment of pediatric ruptured appendicitis with abscess significantly reduced postoperative infection rates.

Giant omental lipoblastoma and CD56 expression.

We report a case of giant omental lipoblastoma in a 13-month-old boy, which was treated successfully by total excision. Tumor cells were positive for S100, CD34 and CD56. This is the first report of lipoblastoma expressing CD56, a fact that could be used to differentiate lipoblastoma from liposarcoma.

Fecal and urinary continence after scope-assisted anorectovaginoplasty for female anorectal malformation.

AIM: We assessed continence after scope-assisted anorectovaginoplasty (SARVP) for female anorectal malformation (FARM). METHODS: Five FARM cases were assessed; cases 1 and 2: cloacal malformation; case 3: urogenital sinus, and rectovestibular fistula (RF); case 4: RF, absent vagina, and sacral anomaly; case 5: covered cloacal exstrophy. Treatment was SARVP in all cases, with perineal vaginoplasty (case 1), vagina pull-through (PT) similar to Georgeson's colon PT (case 2), and the use of the native RF/cloaca channel as a vagina (cases 3-5). Continence was assessed pre and postoperatively. RESULTS: SARVP was performed in the lithotomy position without repositioning. Mean age at surgery was 3.2 (1.7-5.5) years. Current mean age: 8.8 years (range 7.5-12.2). Mean follow-up: 5.7 years. Preoperative continence: fecal: all had stomas; urinary: cases 1 and 2: continent; cases 3-5: incontinent. Postoperative continence: fecal: cases 1-3: continent; case 4: incontinent; case 5: awaiting stoma closure; urinary: cases 1 and 2: continent; cases 3 and 4: incontinent; case 5: continent (intermittent catheterization). Fetal continence evaluation questionnaire (CEQ) scores for cases 1-4 were 7.5, 9, 10, and 2 (maximum score 10, mean 7.1). CONCLUSION: Scope assistance improves visualization, thus pelvic sphincter dissection/division is minimized with less detrimental impact on postoperative continence.

Ectopic pancreas presenting as a submucosal gastric tumor: case report and literature review.

Ectopic pancreas is of little clinical significance. We report a case of ectopic pancreas in a 2-year-old girl presenting as a heterogeneous solid submucosal tumor of the posterior wall of antrum proximal to the pylorus, treated by distal gastrectomy and Billroth I reconstruction. We reviewed 15 cases in the English literature.