Arterial Embolization and Methylene Blue Injection into the Aberrant Artery in Two Infants with Intralobar Sequestration.

Bronchopulmonary sequestration is a rare congenital lung dysplasia. An intralobar sequestration (ILS) is a nonfunctional mass within the lung parenchyma without bronchial communication and with aberrant systemic arterial blood supply. Surgical resection or close observation can be proposed in the management of asymptomatic and low-risk ILS, but there is a lack of consensus. Endovascular embolization before thoracoscopic resection of ILS has been described to limit perioperative bleeding. Another technique previously reported is the injection of methylene blue in the feeding artery to macroscopically mark the sequestration from the healthy lung. In that way, a nonanatomical resection can be performed instead of a lobectomy without the risk of leaving abnormal lung tissue in place. We describe the first two cases of these two techniques combined: a 3-year-old girl with an ILS in the right lower lobe with an artery originating from the abdominal aorta, and a 14-month-old girl with an ILS in the right lower lobe with an artery coming from the celiac trunk. The combination of embolization and injection of methylene blue in the aberrant artery leads to a clear macroscopic demarcation of the blue-colored ILS from the healthy lung parenchyma and allowed safe nonanatomical resection of the ILS without risk of bleeding or compromising normal lung tissue.

When It Doesn't Fit: Congenital Anomalies of the Choledochus.

Introduction Congenital choledochal malformations (CCMs) are characterized by intra- and/or extrahepatic bile duct dilatation. Five basic types (1-5) are recognized in Todani's classification and its modifications, of which types 1 and 4 typically have an associated anomalous pancreatobiliary junction and common channel (CC). We describe two cases with previously undescribed features. Case Report 1 Antenatal detection of a cyst at porta hepatis was made in an otherwise normal girl of Iranian parentage. She was confirmed to be a CCM (20 mm diameter), postnatally, with no evidence of obstruction. Surgical exploration was performed at 12 weeks. She had an isolated cystic dilatation of the right-hepatic duct only. The left-hepatic duct and common bile duct (CBD) were normal without a CC. Histology of the resected specimen showed stratified squamous epithelium. Case Report 2 A preterm (31 weeks of gestation) boy of Nigerian parentage was presented. His mother was HIV + ve and he was treated with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors following birth. He had persistent cholestatic jaundice and a dilated (10 mm) bile duct from birth. Although the jaundice resolved, the dilatation persisted and increased, coming to surgery aged 2.5 years. This showed cystic dilatation confined to the common hepatic duct, and otherwise normal distal common bile duct and no CC. Result Both underwent resection with the Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy reconstruction to the transected right-hepatic duct alone in case 1, leaving the preserved left duct and CBD in continuity, and to the transected common hepatic duct in case 2. Conclusions Neither choledochal anomaly fitted into the usual choledochal classification and case 1 appears unique in the literature.

Laparoscopic Repair for Perforated Peptic Ulcer in Children.

Introduction A perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) is a rare but major complication of gastroduodenal peptic ulcer disease. Literature is scarce on this subject in the pediatric population and most articles describe a surgical treatment by laparotomy. We aim to review all our cases of pediatric PPU treated over the past 16 years and compare these to literature to deduce potential benefits and disadvantages regarding laparoscopic treatment of PPU in children. Materials and Methods A retrospective study of all cases of PPU treated at the Lenval Hospital in Nice (France) and the Queen Fabiola University Hospital for Children in Brussels (Belgium) between 1998 and 2015 was performed. Results A total of five children were treated for PPU (2 females). The average age was 11 years (range, 3-17). All of them were surgically treated with laparoscopic simple suture of the perforation and placement of an omental patch. There were no mortalities, no conversions, and no extra-abdominal complications or wound dehiscences. Mean operating time was 78.6 minutes (range, 70-115 minutes). Mean duration of intravenous treatment was 6 days (range, 4-12 days). One reintervention was performed for abdominal infection. In one patient, an abdominal drain was left in place for 2 days. The mean time before refeeding was 3.4 days (range, 3-4 days) and mean length of stay was 12 days (range, 7-30 days). Conclusion Laparoscopic repair is safe and feasible for PPU and should be the gold standard for treatment of PPU in children.

Multicentre survey on the current surgical management of oesophageal atresia in Belgium and Luxembourg.

INTRODUCTION: The surgical management of oesophageal atresia (OA) differs between pediatric surgical teams without consensus. We aimed to describe the current practice of OA treatment in Belgium and Luxembourg and compare this to the literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was created and sent to all 18 hospitals (14 pediatric surgical units) performing OA surgery in Belgium and Luxembourg. The results were compared to the literature. RESULTS: Most units treat an average of 2-5 OA+TOF (71%) and ≤1 pure OA (pOA) per year (86%). The preferred surgical approach for OA+TOF is thoracotomy (86%), mostly extra-pleural (75%). Thoracoscopic OA repair is performed in 21%. All centers perform an end-to-end anastomosis (interrupted sutures), and all leave a transanastomotic tube. A chest drain is routinely used in 8units (57%). In pOA the preferred surgical approach is gastrostomy formation with delayed primary anastomosis (77%). The timing for delayed anastomosis is 2 to 24months. Intra-operative lengthening is mostly attempted with Foker technique (46%). If oesophageal replacement is needed, gastric interposition is mostly used (75%). A postoperative contrast study is routinely performed in 86% for OA+TOF and in 100% for pOA. Anti-reflux medication is routinely prescribed by all units but one. CONCLUSION: There are still many differences and controversies in the perioperative management of OA. Part of this is based on habits and is difficult to change without scientific evidence. There is a need for prospective (inter)national registries to further identify the existing differences, leading to a more widely accepted consensus. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.