Incidence of contralateral patent processus vaginalis in relation to age at laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure for pediatric inguinal hernia.

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure (LPEC) allows the surgeon to look for contralateral patent processus vaginalis (CPPV) directly. We investigated the incidence of CPPV in relation to age at LPEC. METHODS: Following Institutional Review Board approval, 1232 patients ranging in age from 2 months old to 15 years old (median 4.7 years), who underwent LPEC, were investigated retrospectively. Patients were divided into five groups based on their age at surgery: younger than 1, 1-2, 2-4, 4-6 years, and older than 6 years. The incidence of CPPV being detected by preoperative ultrasonography or laparoscopy was compared among these groups. Statistical analyses were performed using the Chi-square test or Cochran-Armitage trend test, and p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The incidence of CPPV detected by ultrasonography decreased as the age increased (p < 0.0001), whereas the incidence of CPPV newly revealed by laparoscopy increased as age increased (p = 0.0001). There were no significant differences in the incidence of CPPV in patients with unilateral hernia among the five age groups (p = 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that the incidence of CPPV in patients with unilateral inguinal hernia did not change in relation to their age.

Effects of insistent screening for contralateral patent processus vaginalis in laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure to prevent metachronous contralateral onset of pediatric inguinal hernia.

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure (LPEC) is known to reduce the incidence of metachronous contralateral hernia (MCH) compared to conventional hernia repair. We herein describe the effects of insistent screening for an irregular orifice of the contralateral patent processus vaginalis (CPPV). METHODS: All patients who underwent LPEC between 2003 and 2013 were reviewed. We started insistent screening for a CPPV in July 2010. The surgically treated cases before June 2010 were assigned to the former group, while those treated after July 2010 were in the latter group. The data were retrospectively collected from medical records. The statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test or Chi square test. A value of P < 0.05 was considered to be significant. RESULT: A total of 1113 patients (514 males and 599 females) ranging in age from 3 months old to 15 years old (median 4.6 years old), were reviewed. Of the 626 patients in the former group, a CPPV was detected in 227 patients. Of the 487 patients in the latter group, a CPPV was detected in 271 patients. The incidence of a CPPV significantly increased over time (P < 0.001). We encountered five cases of MCH, all of which belonged to the former group (P = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: The increased detection of a CPPV by insistent screening seemed to cause a decrease in the incidence of MCH.

Early jejunostomy creation in cases of isolated hypoganglionosis: verification of our own experience based on a national survey.

PURPOSE: Isolated hypoganglionosis (IH) is a rare disease, with few well-established therapeutic strategies. This study aims to verify our preliminary therapeutic strategies developed to date in a comparison with data obtained from a nationwide survey of congenital-type IH. METHODS: Of the 90 registered IH cases assessed in a survey of Japanese pediatric surgical departments, 40 patients who had initially undergone jejunostomy (JE) and 41 treated with ileostomy (IL) were analyzed. Thirteen patients with JE sites located less than 50 cm from the ligament of Treitz were defined as having undergone upper jejunostomy (UJE). Postsurgical plain abdominal X-ray findings and survival rates, estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, were used to evaluate improvements following stoma creation. RESULTS: Improvements in bowel obstruction were observed in significantly more UJE patients (9/13) than non-UJE patients [20/63 (22 JE and 41 IL cases); p = 0.01]. Furthermore, the JE patients demonstrated a significantly higher survival rate than the IL patients (p = 0.01). Following the completion of the 10-year follow-up period, three JE patients died after undergoing massive bowel resection. CONCLUSIONS: To manage IH successfully, patients should undergo JE less than 50 cm from the ligament of Treitz during the neonatal period. Properly managing the distal intestines is important for achieving long-term survival.

Catheter-related bloodstream infection in patients with motility disorder of the alimentary tract.

PURPOSE: Catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) is a serious complication associated with parenteral nutrition (PN). We retrospectively examined the features of CRBSI in patients with motility disorder (MD) by reviewing medical records. METHODS: Patients who received PN for more than 100 days in our hospital between January 2009 and September 2013 were reviewed. They were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of MD. The frequency of CRBSI and the pathogenic organisms detected were compared. Statistical analysis was performed with the Mann-Whitney U test or Fisher's exact test. P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Six patients had MD (MD group) and four patients had short bowels without MD (SB group). The median frequencies of CRBSI were 12.6 per 1,000 catheter-days in the MD group and 2.3 in the SB group (P = 0.027). The percentage of Gram-negative bacilli in all pathogenic organisms was 61% in the MD group and 22% in the SB group (P = 0.036). CONCLUSION: We found CRBSI was more frequent and Gram-negative bacilli were more common in patients with MD. Stasis in the alimentary tract and subsequent bacterial overgrowth appear to be risk factors for CRBSI. Therefore, it is crucial to seek treatments not to cause intestinal stasis.

Cinematic magnetic resonance enterography for non-organic abdominal pain in infants and children.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent non-organic abdominal pain is the most commonly diagnosed medical problem in children. However, excluding small bowel disease remains a challenge. We evaluated our exclusion criteria for organic small intestinal diseases in pediatric patients with recurrent non-organic abdominal pain using cinematic magnetic resonance (cine-MR) enterography. METHODS: The non-intestinal organic (non-IO) group as classified by the Rome III criteria system and the intestinal organic (IO) group consisted of 81 and 19 patients, with 35 and 12 male and 46 and 7 female patients with an age range of 5-18 and 4-15 years (average 10.5 and 10.5 years), respectively. Cine-MR enterography was performed by dynamically balanced first-field-echo imaging with thick-slice water-selective excitation without breath holding. In our original small intestinal motility test, cine-MR enterography was taken at three different times (fasting state [P1], immediately after [P2] and 30 min after [P3] drinking liquid material), with images taken sequentially for 5 min at each time-point to evaluate the motion of water in the gastrointestinal tract. Positive findings for organic intestinal problems were concluded when persistent visible intestinal loops appeared in both the P1 and P2 phases. RESULTS: Cine-MR enterography showed 6/81 (7.4%) and 18/19 (94.7%) (P < 0.01) positive cases of organic intestinal problems in the non-IO and IO groups, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values of this examination were 78.3% and 97.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The unique capabilities of cine-MR enterography technology in this clinical setting render it an important additional diagnostic tool when specific disease management issues must be addressed.

Wide variation in anal sphincter muscles in cases of high- and intermediate-type male anorectal malformation.

PURPOSE: The distribution of sphincter muscle complex in anorectal malformation (ARM) needs to be investigated on a case-by-case basis. This study was undertaken to demonstrate the differences in the anal sphincter muscles between patients with the same type of ARM. Computed tomography (CT) data from cases of high- and intermediate-type male patients with ARM were reviewed using three-dimensional (3D) image analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven male patients with ARM (18 high and 9 intermediate) before anorectoplasty were assessed using multidetector-row helical CT (MRH-CT). A 3D reconstruction was made using volume rendering method. The multi-dimensional sections of the 3D reconstructed images of the pelvic muscles were then analyzed and compared with schematic drawings from the literature. RESULTS: The sphincters in the high and intermediate types of ARM could be divided into five groups. In 13 out of 18 cases in the high type and 7 out of 9 cases in the intermediate type, images of the sphincter muscles appeared different from schematic drawings appearing in the literature. CONCLUSION: In both high and intermediate types of ARM, more than 2/3 of cases demonstrated unexpectedly displaced and deformed hypoplastic sphincters. Therefore, we recommend that variations in anal sphincter should be investigated on an individual basis prior to surgery.

Strategies for catheter-related blood stream infection based on medical course in children receiving parenteral nutrition.

PURPOSE: The central venous catheter (CVC) is a useful device for patients requiring parenteral nutrition (PN). However, the risk for catheter-related blood stream infection (CRBSI) is always present. We analyzed the medical course pattern and considered the strategies against febrile events in patients with CVC. METHODS: Nine patients receiving PN in our institute from January 2009 to December 2010 were reviewed. Statistical analysis was performed with the Mann-Whitney U test. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Eighty-four febrile events were observed. Fifty-six specimens had a positive blood culture, and 52 (93%) specimens were found to be positive in 48 h. The fever dissolved within 48 h in 76 (90%) events after our scheduled treatment. Between the positive and negative blood culture groups, no statistical difference was observed in the count of white blood cell (p = 0.15), the proportion of neutrophils (p = 0.11) and C-reactive protein (p = 0.64). None of the CVCs were removed because of failure to control infection. CONCLUSION: We recommend the treatment for CRBSI be initiated when patients with CVC develop a high-grade fever, even before exact identification of the cause of infection. The treatment can be corrected after the re-evaluation at 48 h.

A preliminary report on the significance of excessively long segment congenital hypoganglionosis management during early infancy.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Excessively long segment of congenital hypoganglionosis is rare, and therapeutic strategies to treat this disorder are not well established. The purpose of this study is to describe the significance of management in the neonatal and early infancy period. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Four patients (aged 1-4 years) with hypoganglionosis were selected for this study, of which 3 were treated at our hospital. In the initial treatment of 3 cases, an intraoperative pathological diagnosis was made on the basis of findings from simultaneous biopsies taken from the jejunum and sigmoid colon. Retrospective reviews of these patients were performed. RESULTS: Initial double-barrel jejunostomy at less than 50 cm from the ligament of Treitz allowed patients to start oral nutrition within a week following surgery. Subsequent refashioning of the initial jejunostomy to the Bishop-Koop type was performed at 3 to 6 months of age. Intravenous hyperalimentation was required to meet less than 50% of nutritional requirements, and patients were able to maintain their body weight within 1.5 SD of the normal mean body weight. Liver function test results were also within normal limits in the 3 patients treated at our hospital. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis and treatment may help improve the management of patients in the early stages of hypoganglionosis.

Umbilicoplasty with 3 triangular skin flaps and excised diamond-shaped skin flap.

PURPOSE: In cases of large umbilical hernias, standard surgical techniques have proven inadequate for diminishing the diameter of the umbilicus. We have modified the 3- and 4-triangular-skin-flap techniques to diminish the diameter of the umbilicus and achieve a cosmetically acceptable umbilicus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Umbilicoplasty was performed in 149 children (median age, 2.5 years; range, 3 months-10 years) between 2003 and 2008. We created 4 skin flaps 1.5 cm in length on the umbilicus and excised the cranial diamond-shaped skin flap. After closure of the fascial defect, the diameter of the umbilicus was diminished by suturing the opened cranial part of the diamond-shaped skin flap vertically. The tips of the 3 remaining flaps were then anchored to the closed fascia. RESULTS: Postoperatively, granulation tissue occurred in 18 cases (12%), transient erythema of a flap in 15 cases (10%), and bulging of a skin flap in 15 cases (10%). These complications were reduced by suturing adjoining skin flaps. No recurrent hernias were encountered. The postoperative umbilical appearance was satisfactory in all cases. CONCLUSION: This surgical technique is effective for diminishing the diameter of the umbilicus and creating a cosmetically acceptable shaped umbilicus, even for large umbilical hernias.

Unexpectedly deformed anal sphincter in low-type anorectal malformation.

PURPOSE: The sphincter muscles in anorectal anomalies, which do not appear in the surgical field, cannot be described adequately. Details of the anal sphincter in low-type anorectal malformations were investigated using 3-dimensional (3D) image analysis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty patients (10 males and 20 females) with low-type anorectal malformation were investigated with multidetector-row helical computed tomography. An image of the anorectal part was obtained with a slice thickness of 1 mm and a reconstruction pitch of 0.5 mm. A 3D reconstruction on a personal computer was made with a volume rendering method assisted by our own software (NewVES). RESULTS: Very thin vertical fibers (VFs) were observed behind the fistula in almost half of the low-type cases. They did not wrap the distal end of the fistula. The 3D images of these sphincters were different in each case. DISCUSSION: The fistula was dislocated forward from the deformed hypoplastic sphincter. We suggest that surgical mobilization of the anorectum into the center of the hypoplastic sphincter would be difficult using the cut back or Potts methods. CONCLUSION: The choice of surgical method should take into consideration the displaced and deformed hypoplastic anal sphincter.