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Purpose: Feeding tube access with an antireflux procedure is frequently necessary in children with severe neurological deficits. Fundoplication in this particular group of patients has many complications and a reported failure rate of 40% to 50%. Recently, the use of a feeding Roux-en-Y jejunostomy has been advocated in this population., Methods: Since December 1993, over a 6-month period, the authors performed 12 Roux-en-Y jejunostomies. All children had documented gastroesophageal reflux. One patient had a prior failed Nissen fundoplication, and none of these patients were feeding significantly by mouth. Postoperative follow-up has been 12 months., Results: There were no deaths in this series. One patient required early revision of the stoma because of marked prolapse. One 11-month-old infant required reoperation 7 days postoperatively because of tube dislodgment. Eight of the 12 patients required out-patient procedures to unplug or replace the jejunostomy tube., Conclusion: The operation may be beneficial in a subset of neurologically impaired children who will never be able to ingest significant calories by mouth. It may also be useful after a failed fundoplication. The main postoperative complications were plugging and dislodgment of the jejunostomy tube, which if they occurred early, required x-ray confirmation for catheter placement.

Chylothorax is an uncommon condition that may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The authors report a case of traumatic chylothorax attributed to child abuse and describe our management with tube thoracostomy and nutritional support with medium-chain triglycerides. Child abuse should be suspected in any case of chylothorax when no other etiology is evident and particularly when other signs of abuse are present.

The authors describe a noninvasive technique for the management of giant omphaloceles. Two patients with giant omphaloceles were managed with external compression. Dry sterile dressings were used, buttressed by an Ace bandage in the first case and by a handcrafted Velcro abdominal binder in the second. The binder was tightened every 2 or 3 days. Renal, cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal parameters were measured regularly to determine whether the binder was too tight. The first patient had only occasional emesis, and the defect was repaired after 40 days of compression. The second patient experienced intermittent hypertension, occasional emesis, and mild oxygen desaturation, which resolved when the binder was loosened slightly. The fascia muscle and skin were closed after 30 days of external compression. Both patients are currently living at home and doing well. This form of external compression is an effective, inexpensive, and low-risk method for the gradual reduction of giant omphaloceles, and should be considered for patients born with this problem.

Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis can be diagnosed accurately by physical examination alone. However, ultrasonographic confirmation is obtained in the majority of cases, often before clinical evaluation by the surgeon. The present study examines whether the easy access to ultrasonography by the primary physician has affected the care of infants with pyloric stenosis. During a 24-month period, 100 infants were treated for pyloric stenosis at the authors' institution. There were 78 boys and 22 girls; the age range was 9 to 90 days (median, 30.0 days). The children were referred for surgical evaluation, but abdominal ultrasonography was ordered concomitantly (or within 1 hour of surgical consultation) in all cases. The median age at the onset of the first symptoms was 24.0 days. The time between onset and hospital admission was less than 7 days for 72 patients, and more than 2 weeks for seven. Metabolic alkalosis or acidosis, hypokalemia, hypochloremia, and dehydration were noted in 10%, 5%, 3% and 9%, respectively. Six infants had prolonged pre- and postoperative courses, because of prematurity (4) or associated conditions (2). For the remaining patients, total hospitalization period and postoperative stay were 3.8 +/- 0.9 days and 2.8 +/- 0.6 days, respectively. Although the diminished importance of clinical skills in the diagnosis of pyloric stenosis may be regrettable, the availability to the primary care physician of this easy, safe, inexpensive, and reliable imaging modality may contribute to prompter treatment. The patients were hospitalized, with a correct diagnosis, within days of the appearance of the initial symptoms. Because so little time had elapsed, water and electrolyte imbalances were not present, and the patients could be operated on within hours of admission.

Background: Unlike familial polyposis coli, where the premalignant nature of adenomatous polyps is well established, the cancer risk in juvenile polyposis has generally been considered not increased., Methods: This study reviews all cases of juvenile polyposis reported in the English language to date to assess the occurrence and prognosis of carcinoma in the gastrointestinal tract., Results: A total of 218 patients met the inclusion criteria. Mean age at diagnosis was 18.5 years (range: 9 months to 67 years). No gender preference was identified. The most common presenting symptom was chronic anemia, followed by acute gastrointestinal bleeding, rectal prolapse of polyp, protein-losing enteropathy, and intussusception. A family history of juvenile polyposis could be established in approximately 50% of patients, and associated congenital malformations were detected in 15%. Ninety-nine patients underwent 138 gastrointestinal operations: 121 colorectal, 12 gastric, and 5 small intestinal procedures. The development of a gastrointestinal carcinoma was reported in 36 cases (17%). Mean age at diagnosis of carcinoma was 35.5 years (range: 4-60 years). Most malignancies were located in the distal colon and rectum, with only one case of gastric and one case of duodenal carcinoma. Tumor stage at diagnosis was usually advanced, with poor survival figures., Conclusions: This study shows that juvenile polyposis syndromes carry a more significant risk of carcinoma than generally appreciated. Therefore, more intense endoscopic surveillance may be warranted, and definitive surgical options should often be considered in these syndromes.

A 9-year-old girl presented with anemia, fever, and poor growth over a 2 1/2-year period. On physical examination, a right lower quadrant mass was palpated. Her signs and symptoms were consistent with Castleman's disease of the plasma cell type. The mass, a giant hyperplastic lymph node, was excised, and the patient's symptoms resolved. Castleman's disease is a benign lymph node disorder that occurs very rarely in the pediatric population and is cured by operative excision of the lymphatic mass.

Objective: To determine whether nonoperative management of splenic and hepatic injury in the multiply injured pediatric and adolescent patient is both safe and efficacious., Design: Retrospective case series., Setting: Level 1 trauma center., Patients: All patients younger than 19 years old who suffered trauma to the spleen or liver between February 1978 and December 1991 (n = 103) were retrospectively identified by a trauma registry. These patients were divided into three groups: the group as a whole, those suffering multiple injuries, and those suffering either head injury or injury remote from the abdomen that required operative repair., Main Outcome Measures: Injury severity and outcome within each group of patients were compared based on whether the splenic or hepatic injury was managed operatively or nonoperatively., Results: Mean Injury Severity Scores among the multiply injured patients were not different depending on whether the splenic or hepatic injury was managed nonoperatively or operatively. Except for a higher incidence of transfusion requirement among patients who were treated operatively, measures of morbidity among the multiply injured patients did not differ based on treatment. The success rates of nonoperative treatment among all patients, those with multiple injuries, and those with either head injury or remote injury that required surgery were 94%, 90%, and 86%, respectively., Conclusion: Nonoperative management of splenic and hepatic injury in multiply injured pediatric and adolescent patients, including those with head injury and injury remote from the abdomen that requires surgical intervention, is successful and is not associated with a prohibitive morbidity.

Two examples of large, multiloculated, cystic tumors that arose within the pelvis in men of 28 and 37 years of age are described. The tumors were composed of glands and cysts lined by prostatic-type epithelium lying in a hypocellular fibrous stroma. The prostatic nature of the lesions was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining of the epithelium for prostate-specific antigen and prostatic acid phosphatase. Two apparently similar lesions were found in the literature; one tumor was attached to the prostate by a pedicle, and the other arose in the retrovesical space. These tumors, for which we propose the designation "giant multilocular prostatic cystadenoma," appear to be benign, although they may recur if incompletely excised. They may pose considerable diagnostic difficulty if the prostatic nature of the epithelium is not appreciated, an error that is likely if a relationship to the prostate is not recognized. This lesion should be included in the differential diagnosis of retroperitoneal cystic tumors in men.

An unusual bilateral closed dorsal dislocation of the metatarsophalangeal joints of both great toes is described, and surgical treatment and outcome reported. The importance of postreduction X-rays is emphasized.

The roles of bedrest, antiinflammatory medication, and analgesic medication in the treatment of acute back strain were objectively analyzed to determine whether they have a measurable effect on the return of patients to full daily activities as well as on the relief of pain. Two hundred patients were studied prospectively. Each patient had the diagnosis of acute back strain, which was defined as nonradiating low-back pain. The results of the patient's neurologic examination, straight leg raising test, and lumbosacral spine roentgenograms had to be within normal limits for the patient to be included in the study. The results showed that bedrest, as compared with ambulation, will decrease the amount of time lost from work by 50%. Bedrest will also decrease the amount of discomfort by 60%. Analgesic medication, when combined with bedrest, will further decrease the amount of pain incurred, particularly when used in the first three days of the healing process. However, analgesic medication will not allow a more prompt return to work. Antiinflammatory medication, when added to bedrest in the treatment of lumbago, does not provide an advantage over bedrest alone.

Necrotizing enterocolitis poses a serious threat to the increasing number of "at risk" neonates. Its clinical picture is characterized by abdominal distension, gastric retention, bile vomitus, and bloody stools. Abdominal roentgenograms demonstrate loops of intestine with intramural gas. Many of the neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis have been successfully managed by aggressive medical treatment. A review of the clinical course of 64 neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis in the acute phase suggests that either persistence of abdominal distention, development of edema and erythema of the abdominal wall, or pneumoperitoneum are indications for surgical intervention. Seven neonates presented with colonic stenosis several months after the management of the acute phase of necrotizing entercolitis.

Following resection of locally advanced carcinomas of the rectum and colon, 95 patients received moderate dose elective radiotherapy either to an inverted T field or the entire abdomen. In 27 instances, carcinomas invaded adjacent structures and were incompletely resected. Fifty-seven patients had tumors of the rectosigmoid and had either an abdominoperineal or an anterior resection. Thirty-five patients had a mean follow-up period of 26 months. Three of 35 carcinomas recurred locally, 26 of 35 patients are alive without disease. Thirty-eight patients had carcinomas of the colon and had either a partial or hemicolectomy. Thirty-one had a mean follow-up period of 24 months. Five of 31 carcinomas recurred locally. Seventeen of 31 patients are alive, without disease. Sixty-six of 95 patients have survived two years free of disease. One death occurred from radiation enteritis. Radiotherapy postoperatively for patients at a high risk of failure resulted in a low incidence of local recurrence.

When indications for immediate laparotomy are not present, CT of the abdomen and pelvis can be used to evaluate pediatric blunt abdominal trauma. During 2-year period, the medical records and abdominal/pelvic CT scans of 100 consecutive pediatric patients who were evaluated for blunt abdominal trauma were retrospectively reviewed. The scans appeared normal for 73 children. Of these children, 30 had severe head injuries and a depressed sensorium. A total of 27 abdominal/pelvic CT scans were interpreted as abnormal. Findings included nine splenic fractures, six renal contusions, nine hepatic lacerations, one duodenal hematoma, one traumatic pancreatitis, four bony injuries, six miscellaneous abnormalities, and one intraperitoneal bleed. Only two of these 27 patients required abdominal surgery. The remaining 25 patients were treated conservatively based upon a stable clinical state and CT delineation of the extent of injury. No mortality resulted. CT is the radiographic examination of choice for hemodynamically stable pediatric patients with blunt abdominal trauma. CT provided a reliable adjunct examination technique when a physical examination could not be performed and a complete history could not be obtained. The extent of abdominal/pelvic injuries is well delineated and can often be followed by diagnostic imaging, usually allowing for conservative therapy.

This is a report of a case of extension of an epithelioid sarcoma into the medullary cavity-a fact that may alter the relatively good prognosis of this entity, and seems not to have been reported previously. It is important to add epithelial sarcoma to the differential diagnosis of tumor masses on the extremities. A cure may be achieved by wide local excision at an early stage of the disease.

Residual coxa vara is a common complication of femoral neck fracture in a child. Factors favoring the development of this complication are delayed reduction and avascular necrosis. The present case report is a 10-year follow-up of spontaneous correction of traumatic coxa vara in a child. This is of interest because residual coxa vara following a hip fracture in an adult is a deformity in which there is little if any corrective remodeling.

Three children--ages 4 months, 5 months, and 14 years--have been on a program of total parenteral nutrition at home for ten, 23 and 44 months respectively, as of January, 1978. Using a specially designed silicone rubber catheter, placed in the right atrium, total nutritional needs of these children were delivered nightly by family members; the children carried out normal activity during the day with the catheter line maintained by a heparin lock. Normal skeletal development and weight gain have been achieved while allowing these children normal social and psychlogic development outside the hospital. During the course of the therapy the patients had multiple metabolic abnormalities which were successfully treated by replacement therapy. The duration of catheter patency ranged from three to 22 months. Catheter sepsis or mechanical failure occasionally required catheter removal and replacement.

This study was undertaken to identify the pathologic processes in premature infants weighing less than 1000 gm who require surgery, and the outcome of such operations. These neonates required surgery for NEC and PDA. Congenital anomalies were not encountered in our series. No increased mortality due to surgery was observed, and overall mortality was comparable for infants less than 1000 gm and for premature infants with similar diseases. We conclude that surgery in premature infants less than 1000 gm is performed for acquired diseases, and mortality is not increased by the need for surgery.

A technique for excluding the small intestine from the true pelvis in order to permit high dose radiotherapy is described herein. The procedure is done postoperatively after incomplete resection for carcinoma of the colon and rectum.

For the past 14 years, a simplified operation utilizing a metal strut for internal fixation has been used to repair pectus anomalies in 123 children. Subperichondrial cartilage resection is preformed through small incisions in the pectoral muscles. No sternal osteotomy required. A malleable strut is passed transsternally and removed in four to six months, frequently under local anesthesia. All children who underwent this procedure were discharged within five to six days, and no transfusions were necessary. The use of the technique has shortened operative time and decreased the necessity for extensive postoperative pulmonary physiotherapy. In 75 children followed for over 5 years, cosmetic results have been excellent, and self-image has improved substantially. In only 1 child was there a recurrence impressive enough to warrant reoperation.

Over 10 years, 8 infants required surgery for central diaphragmatic herniation. Contrast peritoneography and technetium-99m-sulfur colloid radionuclide scanning were the most definitive diagnostic aids. Associated anomalies included variations of the pentalogy of Cantrell. A midline gastroduodenal loop was found in two infants. Six infants are alive and well 6 months to 3 years postoperatively. An abdominal approach is preferred if there is an intestinal hernia, associated gastrointestinal anomalies, or if a bilateral defect is present.

A teenager with massive rectal bleeding had a positive 99mTc-pertechnetate abdominal scan. At laparotomy, an arteriovenous malformation of the jejunum was found. There was no evidence of a Meckel's diverticulum. The persistent problem of the positive technetium scan warrants increased utilization of preoperative visceral angiography.