Laparoscopic versus Open Surgery in Complicated Appendicitis in Children Less Than 5 Years Old: A Six-Year Single-Centre Experience

Introduction. Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical emergency in the pediatric population. The peak incidence occurs in the first decade of life, while it is uncommon to face appendicitis in children younger than 5 years of age. Laparoscopy is now demonstrated to be the optimal approach also to treat complicated appendicitis, but in very young children this standardized operation is not always easy to perform. Material and Methods. From January 2009 to December 2015 we operated on 525 acute appendicitis, with 120 patients less than 5 years of age. Results. 90 children had a complicated appendicitis (localized or diffuse peritonitis): 43 (48%) were operated on by open approach and 47 (52%) by laparoscopy. The overall incidence of postoperative complications was greater in the open appendectomy group (63% versus 26%) and all severe complications requiring reintervention (6% of cases: 3 postoperative abscesses resolved with ultrasound guided percutaneous abscess drainage; 1 tubal surgery for salpingitis; 1 adhesion-related ileus requiring relaparotomy) were mostly associated with open surgery. Conclusions. Laparoscopic surgery resulted as the best approach for treating complicated appendicitis also in younger children, with minor and less severe postoperative complications compared to open surgery

Il chilotorace congenito e acquisito. Congenital and acquired chylothorax

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Chylothorax in paediatric age is a life-threatening clinical entity that cause serious respiratory, nutritional and immunologic complications. Chylothorax in the absence of trauma or tumour is uncommon and lymphangiomatosis of the bone, although extremely rare, has been associated with these condition. The authors describe the case of a two-year-old girl who presented with a massive chylothorax associated with hip and paravertebral lymphangioma and spread lymphangiomatosis of the spine. The authors also review the literature and their experience of congenital and postoperative chylothorax in order to establish guidelines for the diagnosis and management of both primary and postoperative chylothorax in paediatric age. METHODS: From 1990 and 1999, 14 children had chylothorax. 9 patients had pleural effusion after surgical procedure, 5 patients had congenital chylothorax (both in prenatal and neonatal time), one of whom with bone lymphangiomatosis associated. RESULTS: Postoperative chylothorax has been successfully treated by conservative approach (starvation, total parenteral nutrition and chest tube) in 6 out of 7 cases (two patients died because of complex cardiac malformation). Conservative approach is useful in case of congenital chylothorax, but not with bone lymphangiomatosis associated. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative and congenital chylothorax is well managed with conservative treatment. Chylothorax with bone lymphangiomatosis associated needs early and aggressive surgical approach

Congenital tracheobiliary fistula

Congenital respiratory tract-biliary fistula, including tracheo- and broncho-biliary fistulae, are rare developmental anomalies. To date, only 18 cases have been reported. We present two additional cases that came to our attention after a long and difficult attempt to make a diagnosis. After surgical excision of the tract both children have remained symptom-free for 6 and 4 years, respectively. Bronchoscopy allows an early diagnosis, but patients also have to be investigated for associated biliary tree malformations

Long-term outcome of surgically treated acquired subglottic stenosis in infancy

There is little information about the long-term outcome of infants with acquired severe subglottic stenosis (SGS) who require surgical intervention. We retrospectively identified infants with acquired subglottic stenosis who required anterior cricoid split (ACS) or tracheostomy for primary airway management; some of these children later required laryngotracheoplasty (LTP). All children were treated at our hospital from 1989-1997. During follow-up, we assessed patients for persistent symptoms (stridor at rest, exercise limitation, difficulty with respiratory tract infections, recurrent croup, and voice alteration), and we measured lung function when possible. We identified 34 infants with acquired SGS: 13 treated primarily with tracheostomy, and 21 with ACS. Nine patients could not be extubated following ACS and required tracheostomy, while the 12 who were extubated were followed up at a mean time of 76 months postoperatively; 3 had moderate stridor at rest, 1 moderate exercise limitation, and none had recurrent croup. Four of 5 who had lung function measured had moderately severe extrathoracic airflow limitation. From the tracheostomy group (n = 13) and the failed ACS group (n = 9), 2 patients were decannulated without further surgery, 17 underwent LTP, and 2 have LTP planned. Fifteen of the 17 patients who had LTP have been decannulated. Follow-up, at a mean time of 58 months postoperatively, showed none with stridor at rest, 3 with moderate exercise limitation, none with recurrent croup, and 2 with moderate voice alteration. All 5 patients who had lung function measured had airflow limitation, 1 being severe. In conclusion, ACS facilitates extubation in selected patients with severe, acquired SGS of infancy, and the long-term outcome of patients successfully extubated is excellent. Failure of ACS invariably means tracheostomy, and subglottic repair by LTP is associated with a good long-term outcome. (C) 2000 Wiley- Liss, Inc

Cystic dilatation of the choledochus: the diagnostic problems

Choledochal cyst is a rare pathology in western countries and the typical signs and symptoms are not always present at the onset. The diagnosis is often difficult and it needs a long time to be clear. In this paper we review our recent experience with this pathology (8 patients) and particularly we point out the problems of the delate in the diagnosis and the best choice to study these patients

Clinical and pulmonary ultrasound evaluations after intranasal, parenteral, or both vaccine administration for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in dairy calves

The bovine respiratory disease (BRD) can significantly reduce the health and welfare of dairy calves. Vaccination is a common practice to minimize the incidence of BRD both intranasal and parenteral. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and lung ultrasound response of calves undergoing intranasal, parenteral, or both vaccination for BRD. Two-hundred one Holstein Friesian calves were enrolled and divided into four group: control group (Group A, n=41, without vaccination); intranasal-vaccination group (Group B, n=46, intranasal vaccination); parenteral-vaccination group (Group C, n=52, subcutaneous vaccination); double-vaccination group (Group D, n=62, intranasal and subcutaneous vaccinations). All animals received a clinical examination and lung ultrasonographic evaluation at 10-15 days of life (day of recruitment: T0), 17-22 (T1), 31-38 (T2), and 45-52 (T3) days of life. The Kruskall-Wallis and the Dunn tests were performed to assess differences between groups and over time, while the Chi-squared test was used to evaluate the differences between proportions. All vaccinated groups showed a lower ultrasonography score over time compared to Group A except for Group B at T3. Groups B and D presented a lower percentage of diseased animals compared to Group A at T1 and T2, while groups C and D were lower at T3. The odds ratio showed a lower risk of BRD in all vaccinated groups at T1 and T2, but only Group D continued to T3. Group D also showed a lower risk compared to Group C at T1, and groups B and C at T2. The respiratory score was greater in Group C except at T3. All vaccinated groups showed similar and lower mortality compared to the control group. Our results suggest that the lung ultrasound was more effective in identifying cases of BRD. Furthermore, the association of intranasal and parenteral vaccinations was more effective in reducing the risk of BRD