Laparoscopic management of neonatal ovarian cysts.

A laparoscopic approach was used in four infants with antenatally diagnosed ovarian cysts requiring surgical intervention. Operating time ranged from 60 to 90 minutes, there were no intraoperative or postoperative complications, and all infants were discharged within 23 hours after surgery. If performed by experienced practitioners, microendoscopy is an alternative to laparotomy in neonates requiring surgical intervention for ovarian cysts.

Congenital long segment tracheal stenosis presenting with tachypnea.

An infant born at full term presented with tachypnea, tachycardia and fatigue with feedings. Blood gases revealed hypoventilation. A rigid bronchoscopy using the Karl-Storz telescopic system revealed severe tracheal stenosis. Follow-up three-dimensional computerized tomography scans of the neck and chest revealed a long segment, funnel-shaped tracheal stenosis extending up to the left bronchial orifice. The patient underwent tracheal reconstruction, but died three weeks later from postoperative complications. It is unusual for severe tracheal stenosis to present without stridor, apnea, cyanosis and wheezing. Infants with unexplained tachypnea should be worked-up for congenital deformities of the upper airways.

Pseudoappendicitis preceding infectious mononucleosis.

In patients with infectious mononucleosis, abdominal pain is usually attributed to visceral enlargement. A teenage girl with symptoms of appendicitis was found at laparotomy to have mesenteric adenitis. Postoperatively, she developed classic features of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-induced mononucleosis. The lymphoproliferation characteristic of EBV infection can cause severe localized abdominal pain that predates the onset of mononucleosis.

Complicated cannula insertions and cannula dislodgments associated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy remains a life saving modality for neonates with cardiopulmonary disease that is unresponsive to conventional therapy. Vital to its success is the insertion and maintenance of appropriately sized vascular cannulas. Problematic insertion and accidental dislodgments can be life threatening. To determine the treatment and outcome of these complications, a survey of participating Extracorporeal Life Support Organization centers was undertaken. Venous cannulation complications (13 patients) were due to inadequate vein size or tearing during initial attempts at cannulation. Proximal and alternative site cannulation were used. Difficult arterial cannulations (seven patients) were most often due to creation of an intimal flap that was corrected by proximal cannulation of the same vessel. The 10 cases of accidental dislodgment were most often associated with changes in position. Despite copious hemorrhage in many instances, 6 of 10 patients survived with intact neurologic status. Methods for dealing with these life threatening cannula related complications are described.

Evaluation of minor head injury in children.

The authors' goal was to determine criteria for hospitalization for children with minor head injuries. A retrospective review was performed of the hospital records of 401 children with isolated minor head injuries who were admitted to a level I pediatric trauma center between July 1988 and December 1990. Specific information regarding each patient was documented, including demographic data, pertinent physical findings, diagnostic studies, criteria for admission, and hospitalization costs. Fifty-one patients with a mechanism of injury compatible with minor head injury, a brief or no loss of consciousness, a Glasgow coma score of 15, and no abnormalities on radiographic examination did not have neurological complications. The authors believe that these 51 patients could have been discharged from the hospital to responsible parents, thereby decreasing the costs of hospitalization. Prospective studies to substantiate these data and determine which patients should be hospitalized are warranted.

Surgical complications and procedures in neonates on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

We report our experience from May 1985 to January 1991 with surgical complications and procedures performed in neonates on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) (218 venoarterial and 7 venovenous bypass). Eleven children older than 1 month were excluded. Total complications were 96 in 67 patients and included: bleeding (37), problems with initial cannula placement (17), thrombus formation (15), hemothorax, pneumothorax, or effusions (11), mechanical problems (11), and miscellaneous (5). Forty-eight procedures were performed in 37 patients while on ECMO. These were recannulation or reposition of cannulas (14), tube thoracostomy (11), cardiac surgery (6), cardiac catheterization (4), repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (5), thoracotomy (4), and others. Twenty-eight complications occurred in 15 of the 27 patients who died. Mortality rate was 12% for the entire group. Primary causes of death were hypoplastic lung (11), cardiac (8), sepsis (4), intraventricular hemorrhage (2), and pulmonary hypertension (2). No deaths were due solely to complications except for the two patients with intraventricular hemorrhage. Mortality in neonates who had complications while on ECMO was significantly higher (P less than .005) than in patients without complications. Hemorrhagic and thoracic complications were associated with higher mortality (P less than .001). Mortality was not affected by mechanical problems, thrombus formation, or catheter-related problems. While on ECMO cardiac defects, diaphragmatic hernia, lobar emphysema, and other conditions can be safely corrected. The use of echocardiography to position the cannulas, better control of coagulation factors and improvement in equipment may ultimately decrease complications.

Basilar skull fractures in childhood with cranial nerve involvement.

Cranial nerve palsies developed in 23% of 73 children with basilar skull fractures. The majority occurred in patients 10 years of age or older. Our overall incidence was higher than that in a review in which basilar skull fractures were indiscriminately included with all head injuries. Our experience with meningitis was similar to that present in the literature and would seem to support avoidance of prophylactic antibiotics. Because there was no improvement in neurological deficits in patients treated with steroids (the only case of meningitis in our series was associated with steroids), we believe that their use is unwarranted. It is important to discuss the prognosis with the patient's family, because, although the majority (53.3%) of cases resolve completely, those with residual deficits can have significant morbidity.

Rectal prolapse in infants and children.

Rectal prolapse that is intractable to the usual medical therapy was successfully managed without significant complications in 10 patients by simple subcutaneous encirclement of the anus with a heavy nonabsorbable suture, which was in place until the suture was removed or broke after 4 to 6 months. Four patients required two sutures and one needed a third insertion. Since this procedure is simple, has no serious complications, and controls rectal prolapse, it is recommended as the preferred initial surgical treatment of this condition.

Budd-Chiari syndrome secondary to hepatic vein thrombus from Wilm's tumor. Case report and literature review.

We describe a case of Budd-Chiari Syndrome in a 6-year-old boy secondary to Wilm's tumor. The patient had a right nephrectomy and mediastinotomy with removal of the tumor from the right atrium, inferior vena cava, and hepatic vein. Postoperatively, the patient had chemotherapy consisting of Actinomycin-D to be followed by radiation to the tumor bed to a total dose of 2000 rads in 10 fractions by using AP/PA field on 6 MeV Linear Accelerator. Currently, the child is receiving combination chemotherapy.

Ovarian tumors in children.

Ovarian tumors in the pediatric age group, although rare, can be malignant and lethal; the most common is the germ cell tumor. Operation and chemotherapy with multiple drugs is recommended to improve survival. For children with benign ovarian tumors, preservation of ovarian tissue should be a priority. Thirty children with ovarian tumors were treated at Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, over the past 19 years. The average patient age was 12 years. Presenting symptoms were acute pain (46%), chronic pain (33%), increased abdominal girth (21%), and a palpable mass (55%). Plain x-ray films of the abdomen, ultrasonography, and intravenous pyelography were helpful in making the diagnosis preoperatively. Emergency laparotomy for an acute abdominal condition was done in ten patients. Twenty-two tumors were benign and eight were malignant. Of the malignant tumors, six (75%) were germ cell tumors, one was a sex cord tumor, and one was a cystadenocarcinoma. Benign tumors were managed by cystectomy or oophorectomy. For malignant tumors, oophorectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy was done initially, followed by chemotherapy and "second look" procedures. Survival ranged from five months to nine years, with an average of 46 months. Four patients died between five and 40 months after diagnosis; the other four have a median survival of 76 months.

Early excision of major burns in children: effect on morbidity and mortality.

The advantage of early excision and grafting in the treatment of limited full-thickness burns has been clearly established. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the role of early burn wound excision in major pediatric burns. Of the 470 pediatric burn admissions between 1979 and 1984 that were reviewed, 53 patients met the criteria of deep second or third degree burns greater than 25% total body surface area (TBSA). Of these, 20 had burn wound excision within 7 days (Early) and 33 had delayed excision and grafting (Late). The Early group, despite having greater transfusion requirements (69.4 v 36.2 cc/kg), had shorter hospital stays (35.3 v 49.1 d, P less than 0.05), fewer metabolic complications (20% v 79%, P less than 0.001), and less burn wound contamination (55% v 90%, P less than 0.01) than the Late group. Mortality was lower in the Early group (0% v 12%), but this was not statistically significant. Early excision and grafting are therefore recommended in the care of major burns in children.

Necrotizing tracheobronchitis: a new indication for emergency bronchoscopy in the neonate.

Necrotizing tracheobronchitis (NTB) is a recently recognized cause of tracheal obstruction in the mechanically ventilated neonate. This process involves inflammation and necrosis of the mucosa of the distal trachea and mainstem bronchi. The sloughing of this material into the tracheal lumen results in plugging and acute respiratory distress. We documented this diagnosis in 19 infants. Four were diagnosed at autopsy. Fifteen had emergency bronchoscopy performed in the neonatal intensive care unit with removal of the obstructing debris. Ten of these 15 neonates survived (66.7%). The diagnosis of necrotizing tracheobronchitis should be suspected in those neonates requiring positive pressure ventilation in whom a sudden unexplained increase in ventilatory requirements develops. This is often associated with hypercarbia and a history of high-peak inspiratory pressures with or without hypoxia. Emergency bronchoscopy in these neonates is necessary both for diagnosis and treatment of the necrotizing tracheobronchitis.

Inguinal hernias in premature infants operated on before discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit.

Sixteen premature infants were operated on during the two-year period from 1981 through 1982 for inguinal hernia prior to discharge from the hospital. There were no complications from the hernias before surgery and during administration of anesthesia and postoperative recovery, and no recurrences, would infections, or testicular atrophy was noted in long-term follow-up. In contrast to a controlled group of 11 full-term patients of this same age who were operated on as outpatients, the operating room time, operation time, and time in the recovery room were significantly increased for the premature infants. This resulted in a 22% increase in cost for the correction of the premature inguinal hernias. Analysis of the factors in repair of these hernias indicates that this increased cost will have to be accepted as part of the care of premature infants in neonatal intensive care units.

Pancreatoblastoma. A histochemical and ultrastructural analysis.

A case of pancreatoblastoma in a 4-year-old boy is presented. This tumor was studied by histochemical and ultrastructural techniques and was found to have both exocrine and endocrine components. This analysis and a review of the literature helps to further define this entity, which has a significantly better prognosis than other pancreatic malignancies.

Simplified insertion of central venous catheter in infants.

A technique for insertion of central venous catheters in infants is described. A needle is percutaneously positioned into the subclavian vein. Through this, a guide wire is passed and a catheter introduced over the wire. This method has proved to be safe and effective in over 100 infants.

Management of patent ductus arteriosus in the premature infant: indomethacin versus ligation.

A previous report from our institution analyzed the results of pharmacological (indomethacin) closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in 82 neonates. Closure was achieved in 54 patients. However, gastrointestinal complications occurred in 21, necrotizing enterocolitis in 13, and focal perforation in 8. Overall mortality in the indomethacin group was 40%. This paper compares the results of that pharmacological experience with our subsequent surgical experience with 86 low-birth-weight neonates for whom gestational age, size, illness, and mode of diagnosis were comparable. Mean weight at operation for this study was 1.1 kg; mean gestational age was 29.1 weeks. All infants required endotracheal-assisted ventilation for severe radiographic and clinical hyaline membrane disease. Range-gated Doppler study, retrograde flush aortography, and echocardiographic measurement of the ratio between the left atrium and the aortic root were used to confirm the diagnosis of PDA. Ligation was done in the neonatal intensive care unit using local anesthesia supplemented with morphine. Ventilation was controlled by an inhalation therapist; drug and blood administration were controlled by the infant's nurse. Surgical ligation was employed in all infants except for 7 in whom hemoclip ductal closure was chosen because of extreme instability, coagulopathy, or ductal perforation. There were no operative deaths. Surgical morbidity included ductal perforation (2 patients), wound infection (1), and phrenic nerve injury (1). Necrotizing enterocolitis occurred in 9 patients. The overall mortality was 17%. Patients with preoperative pneumo-thorax had a 32% overall mortality.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Prevention of postoperative peritoneal adhesions: efficacy of povidone.

The appearance and severity of peritoneal adhesions after simple laparotomy and after adhesiolysis were studied in a rabbit model. Adhesions were induced by direct abrasion with latex glove and dry gauze; control rabbits had abrasion only. Study groups had abrasion and treatment with 10% or 25% povidone. Results showed a significant reduction in the number of adhesions and in the severity of adhesions after treatment with povidone. This study supports the further investigation of the efficacy of povidone in preventing postoperative peritoneal adhesions.