Journal of pediatric surgery
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Case Reports
Partial laparoscopic splenectomy for splenic abscess because of Salmonella infection: a case report.
Splenic abscess as a presentation of a Salmonella infection is described in children and adults. A combination of antibiotics and splenectomy is the standard treatment. We report a 12-year-old girl admitted to the hospital with fever, abdominal pain, and anorexia. ⋯ Splenic abscess in children is a rare condition. Long-term antibiotic therapy is needed. Percutaneous drainage can be a temporary solution, but (partial) splenectomy is the final treatment in most cases.
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We report on 2 sisters presenting with acute torsion of a wandering spleen within a 3-year interval. The diagnosis was made preoperatively by computed tomography (CT) in both cases. A high index of suspicion because of our experience with the first patient, who underwent splenectomy, enabled a correct early diagnosis in the sibling. On urgent surgery, reversible ischemic changes were found, and detorsion and splenopexy resulted in preservation of the spleen.
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Comparative Study
Quality-of-life outcomes after surgical correction of pectus excavatum: a comparison of the Ravitch and Nuss procedures.
The purpose of this study was to compare clinical and health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) outcomes within a group of patients treated for pectus excavatum (PE). ⋯ Patients undergoing surgery for PE by either Nuss or Ravitch procedure have similar clinical and HRQL outcomes, but as a group have poorer HRQL scores than age-matched population norms.
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Case Reports
Abdominal cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome after blunt abdominal trauma in an 11-year-old girl.
Chronic abdominal pain is a common complaint in children. Pain originating from the abdominal wall is often overlooked. Nevertheless, recognizing this type of pain prevents unnecessary examinations (Editorial: Abdominal wall tenderness test: could Carnett cut costs? Lancet. 1991, 337:1134). ⋯ The treatment also is equally simple and effective. We describe an 11-year-old girl with ACNES after blunt abdominal trauma, what we believe has not been reported before. Abdominal wall pain, for example, caused by ACNES, as other types of chronic pain, has a serious impact on a child's well-being and future coping mechanisms with disease and health behavior.
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The congenital central alveolar hypoventilation syndrome (CCAHS), also known as Ondine curse, is characterized by the absence of adequate autonomic control of respiration. The purpose of our study is to review our 20-year experience with diaphragmatic pacing as a treatment modality for CCAHS. ⋯ Diaphragmatic pacing is an effective treatment of Ondine disease. As equipment improved, there is much less need for replacement of components. Patients can lead a much more normal existence by being ventilator free at least during the day, enabling them to participate in normal daily activities.