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Background: Splenic cysts are one of the relatively rare conditions in pediatric surgery practice. Primary non-parasitic splenic cysts are even more scarce. Case presentation: A 13-years-old female patient presented with chronic left hypochondrial pain of 2 months duration. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed huge 18 cm × 14 cm × 10 cm splenic cyst. Deroofing of the cyst was done which was complicated by secondary infection. Subsequently, the patient was re-operated on and partial splenectomy done with good outcome at 6 months follow up. Conclusion: Partial splenectomy is the best management strategy for huge non-parasitic splenic cysts in children. There is also less recurrence rate of splenic cysts with preservation of splenic functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Splenic cysts are one of the relatively rare conditions in pediatric surgery practice. Primary non-parasitic splenic cysts are even more scarce. Case presentation: A 13-years-old female patient presented with chronic left hypochondrial pain of 2 months duration. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed huge 18 cm × 14 cm × 10 cm splenic cyst. Deroofing of the cyst was done which was complicated by secondary infection. Subsequently, the patient was re-operated on and partial splenectomy done with good outcome at 6 months follow up. Conclusion: Partial splenectomy is the best management strategy for huge non-parasitic splenic cysts in children. There is also less recurrence rate of splenic cysts with preservation of splenic functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To describe the embryologic, clinical, and therapeutic features of transverse testicular ectopia (TTE) and to review the literature on similar cases. Methods: Three cases of TTE were discovered accidentally during surgery for inguinal hernia and undescended testes; a persistent Müllerian duct syndrome (PMDS) was associated in 1 case. We also performed a literature search for other reports of TTE. Results: A conservative surgical approach was chosen: transseptal orchiopexy was preferred in 2 cases and the Müllerian remnant was preserved in the first case. Conclusions: TTE is a rare anomaly that usually presents as a unilateral cryptorchidism and a contralateral descendent testis with an associated hernia. In suspected cases, laparoscopy and ultrasonographic evaluation may be helpful in diagnosing this condition before surgery. Surgery, transseptal orchiopexy, is highly recommended to manage TTE especially when vasa deferentia are fused. In case of PMDS, the authors preferred preserving Müllerian remnants because of the risk of vas deferens and testicular blood supply damage. Recently, laparoscopy is useful for both diagnosing and management of TTE and associated anomalies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background and objectives: Soave transanal procedure for Hirschsprung disease (HD) is most commonly performed at early age with good outcome. In our center we adopted this technique in many patients in different age groups without assisted laparoscopic abdominal approach. We herein aim to describe different technical aspects, outcome and success rate of Soave procedure among our patients. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our series of HD patients who underwent the Soave transanal approach, for postoperative stricture, anastomotic leak, enterocolitis, and subsequent bowel functions. Patients were divided into two groups: group 1: the early neonatal group (0-1month) and group 2: the late presentation group(3-14years). Results: Among the 17 patients with HD operated in our center, 13 underwent Soave transanal resection, 1 was lost from follow up, 2 had a levelling colostomy prior to referral and 1 had ileostomy. The average length of resection was 20±10.5 cm. The mean follow-up period was 12.2 months (range 5-22 months). Seven patients were 3-14 years old. At follow-up none had fecalincontinence or constipation requiring laxatives. All patients had voluntary bowel movements. Conclusions: Our results support the fact that a single stage Soave approach without transabdominal dissection is an excellent technique for patients presenting with late HD with an excellent outcome. A multicenter prospective study with larger number of patient is essential to validate our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors or inflammatory pseudotumors are uncommon solid tumors that are highly vascularized, have an intermediate prognosis, and are associated with local recurrence, and rare metastasis. Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMT) most often are seen in the lung of young adults, but there have been reports of these tumors occurring in children, in various sites. The authors report a case of an ovarian IMT arising in a six-year-old girl (third case reported in the literature), treated by a right adnexectomy with uneventful postoperative course, and discuss recent reports. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The definitive treatment of Hirschsprung's disease is the removal of the aganglionic bowel by a pull-through surgery. In most cases, this surgery is performed in infancy or in the neonatal period as presentation in older children and adulthood is uncommon. Materials and Methods: It is a retrospective study of 20 patients above two-year- old who underwent a transanal Soave one-stage endorectal pull-through procedure for Hirschsprung's disease between January 2002 and December 2010. Results: Twenty patients were recruited in this study. Fourteen were males and six were females. Patient ages ranged from 2 to 14 years (median age: five years and three months). All patients presented with persistent constipation and abdominal distension. Two of them had an intestinal obstruction that required colostomy. Ten patients (50%) had a recto-sigmoid Hirschsprung's disease. All patients were operated on using a Soave one-stage endorectal pull-through procedure. The laparoscopy was necessary during the pull-through in three cases. The average duration of the intervention was 240 minutes. That represents almost the double of the duration of the same procedure in newborns and infants in our department (130 minutes). Early postoperative complications included one case of anastomosis leakage and one case of intussusception. Late postoperative complications were perineum irritation in five cases (25%), anal stenosis in four cases (20%) and enterocolitis in one case (5%). None of our patients developed fecal incontinence. Soiling was reported in four cases (20%). There was no death. Conclusion: Soave transanal one-stage endorectal pull-through is safely feasible in children of more than two years of age. Laparoscopy may be necessary whenever there are difficulties in the pull-through. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Abdominal tuberculosis is one of the most frequent extra-pulmonary localizations. Its diagnosis is difficult and may lead to a delayed prescription of specific treatment. This study is aimed at stressing the role of laparoscopy associated with a biopsy in the diagnostic confirmation of abdominal tuberculosis particularly in doubtful cases.Methods: The diagnostic features of 11 cases hospitalized for abdominal tuberculosis in the Paediatric Surgery Department of Fattouma Bourguiba Hospital in Monastir for a 6-year period (2001-2006), were evaluated retrospectively. The diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis was substantiated histopathologically by laparoscopy in all cases. The epidemiological and clinical characteristics along with the laboratory, radiological and histological data were studied.Results: Eleven cases of abdominal tuberculosis with a mean age of 5.6 years were diagnosed. It was peritoneal tuberculosis in all cases and associated with intestinal localization in one case. A conversion to laparotomy was practiced in three patients: appendicular plastron in one case, pseudo-tumor aspect of an intestinal loop in another case and because of their pathological aspect appendicectomy and caecum biopsy in the third. The diagnosis was confirmed histologically by biopsies in nine cases and on excision pieces in the other two cases. All patients had an uneventful course with an antituberculosis treatment.Conclusion: Abdominal tuberculosis is still frequent in Tunisia. Because of its non-specific clinical presentation and the limited means of investigation, a laparoscopy with biopsy should be practiced as first line diagnostic tool in case of doubtful abdominal tuberculosis. The earlier the diagnosis is established and an adapted antituberculosis treatment is started, the better the prognosis is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recurrent intussusceptions in child and infants are problematic and there are controversies about its management. The aim of this study is to determine the details of the clinical diagnosis of recurrent intussusception and to determine the aetiology of recurrent intussusceptions. Patients and Methods: It's a retrospective study of 28 cases of recurrent intussusception treated in the paediatric surgery department of Monastir (Tunisia) between January 1998 and December 2011. Results: During the study period, 505 patients were treated for 544 episodes of intussusception; there were 39 episodes of recurrent intussusceptions in 28 patients; the rate of patients with recurrence was 5.5%. With comparison to the initial episode, clinical features were similar to the recurrent episode, except bloody stool that was absent in the recurrent group (P = 0,016). Only one patient had a pathologic local point. Conclusion: In recurrent intussusception, patients are less symptomatic and consult quickly. Systematic surgical exploration is not needed as recurrent intussusceptions are easily reduced by air or hydrostatic enema and are not associated with a high rate of pathologic leading points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyloric atresia (PA) is uncommon. It occurs in 1:100000 live births. Neonates usually present soon after birth with copious non-bilious vomiting. The treatment is surgical and its prognosis is poor, especially, when it is associated with epidermolysis bullosa (EB). The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical presentation, diagnosis, operative management, post-operative courses, and outcome in infant with PA, based in our cases and literature review. Charts of 10 patients who underwent surgery for PA in the department of paediatric surgery in a Teaching Hospital in Tunisia (Monastir) between 1990 and 2012 were reviewed. Data were analysed for demographic, clinical, therapeutic, and prognostic characteristics. The average of age at presentation was 2 days and there were six males and four females. The main presenting symptoms were non-bilious vomiting in 90% of cases. Abdominal X-ray showed gastric dilatation with an absence of gas in the rest of the intestinal tract in 90%, and a pneumoperitoneum in one. The surgical approach was laparotomy in all cases. Gastric perforation was observed in one patient and was completely repaired. The distribution of the anatomic variations was type A in nine cases and type B in one. Five patients underwent excision of the diaphragm and Heineke-Mikulicz pyloroplasty and gastroduodenostomy in the other five cases. Identified associated anomalies were Down’s syndrome in one and EB in 2 (20%), one family has three affected sibling. Post-operative mortality rate was 70%. No standard surgical approach can be adopted a better management of PA or the associated anomalies depends on an early diagnosis and the availability of neonatal intensive care unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]