Do patch procedures prevent complications of the mathieu technique?

Purpose: The effects of V-incision sutured (MAVIS) and dartos patch reinforcement techniques in reducing side effects and complications of the Mathieu procedure and improving the appearance of the meatus are evaluated

Wandering spleen in childhood: A report of three cases

Wandering spleen is a rare cause of abdominal pain in children, and an accurate diagnosis is seldom made preoperatively, A splenectomy is the treatment of choice in cases of splenic torsion and infarction, while in patients with chronic symptoms splenopexy may also be attempted. We herein report three patients with wandering spleen, of whom two presented,vith acute torsion of the splenic pedicle and one demonstrated an asymptomatic mobile abdominal mass. In the first case splenopexy was attempted, but during followup the spleen was found to have undergone atrophy, The presentation, diagnostic procedures, and treatment modalities in pediatric wandering spleen are reviewed

Jeune's asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy of the newborn

A 13-month-old patient with Jeune's thoracic asphyxiating dystrophy, was surgically treated using a methyl-methacrylate (acrylic) prosthesis. Although postoperative recovery was fast, the patient died of respiratory distress two months following surgery. Limitations of currently available surgical techniques and the need for long-term results will be discussed

Prenatally detected gastroschisis presenting as jejunal atresia due to vanishing bowel

A case of gastroschisis complicated by vanishing bowel and presenting as jejunal atresia is reported that is uniquely different from previously reported cases. Following delivery, complete closure of the abdominal wall with a small fascial defect was observed. Complete healing of this fascial defect was observed at 1 month of age

Nonsurgical diagnosis and management of an inflammatory pseudotumor of the spleen in a child

Primary splenic tumors in children are rare and usually benign. We report the case of a 7-year-old boy with a splenic mass that initially resembled an infectious process. Histopathologic examination of a specimen obtained using sonographically guided Tru-cut needle biopsy, performed after angiography, revealed an inflammatory pseudotumor of the spleen, an extremely rare benign lesion. The lesion has been managed conservatively with clinical and sonographic follow-up. This case shows that benign lesions of the spleen can easily be diagnosed using current radiologic and histopathologic techniques without the need for surgery, thus allowing total or even partial splenectomy to be reserved for patients in whom a mass cannot be diagnosed or in whom clinical progression is evident. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Anorectal manometry during the neonatal period: Its specificity in the diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease

In this study the reliability of anorectal manometry (ARMM) in Hirschsprung's disease (HD) in the neonatal period is evaluated. ARMM was performed in 59 patients (age ranging between 2 to 90 days) in whom HD was suspected. Rectal biopsy was performed in 23 newborn whose rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAIR) was not identified in the ARMM study and in 13 RAIR-positive newborn due to strong clinical signs supporting HD or persistence of symptoms during their follow-up. Other RAIR-positive patients were followed up to 4 months to 3.5 years and no problems were encountered. Among the 36 newborn with rectal biopsies, if the results were compared to ARMM studies, there were one false-positive and two false-negative results. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of ARMM in the diagnosis of HD are 91.6 %, 95.6 %, 84.6 % and 91.6 % respectively. We conclude that ARMM can be used as a screening test in patients in whom HD is suspected during the neonatal period, but for definitive diagnosis it must be combined with other diagnostic tests