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Chickenpox has a high risk of invasive group A streptococcal disease and necroziting fasciitis.Case report – A five-year-old girl, during chickenpox treated with ibuprofen, developed sepsis and edematous and necrotic lesions of the pelvis and the abdominal wall. The child improved with surgical treatment and adjunction of clindamycin to the antibiotic therapy.Conclusion. – We review the optimal medical and surgical treatment of necrotizing fasciitis and discuss the role of chickenpox and non steroidal antiinflammatory agents in this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the long-term efficacy (from the fifth year after injection and up to seven years) of endoscopic treatment by Macroplastique implant for vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) in children, sometimes associated with urological malformations or renal complications. The secondary objective was to evaluate the local tolerance of the Macroplastique implant and the development of any local (haematuria, stones, ureteric stasis) or distant complications., Material and Methods: Retrospective analysis of the medical files of 389 patients, representing a total of 590 refluxing ureters treated by Macroplastique injection in eight different centres., Results: With a follow-up of 5 to 7 years, reflux had not recurred in 309 of the 389 cases, i.e. 79.4% of cases and no case of ureteric stricture was observed., Conclusion: The good short-term results in terms of correction of reflux by Macroplastique injection and the very low morbidity are maintained with time. It therefore appears legitimate to propose endoscopic treatment of VUR by first-line Macroplastique injection instead of surgical ureteric reimplantation.

Unlabelled: Chickenpox has a high risk of invasive group A streptococcal disease and necroziting fasciitis., Case Report: A five-year-old girl, during chickenpox treated with ibuprofen, developed sepsis and edematous and necrotic lesions of the pelvis and the abdominal wall. The child improved with surgical treatment and adjunction of clindamycin to the antibiotic therapy., Conclusion: We review the optimal medical and surgical treatment of necrotizing fasciitis and discuss the role of chickenpox and non steroidal antiinflammatory agents in this disease.

Objective: All agree upon the need for early treatment of giant congenital nevi, basically because of the risk of melanoma degeneration, estimated at about 5 p. 100. Another reason is the cosmetic, psychological and social impact of such nevi. The aim of this study was to assess neonatal curettage of giant congenital nevi as an alternative to classical surgery., Patients and Methods: Between 1996 and 1999, the curettage technique was used in 14 newborns with giant congenital nevi. Three nevi were located on the scalp, 4 on lower limbs and 7 on the trunk with a jacket configuration in 1 case and a cape configuration in 4., Results: Curettage achieved 70-95 p. 100 clearing of the giant nevi in 10 of the 14 children. Four of the children developed hypertrophic scar tissue which resolved with time. Secondary hair growth was observed in 5 cases. Outcome was better when the curettage was performed very early (before 2 weeks of life)., Discussion: Curettage is a surface technique proposed when surgical excision cannot be performed because the surface is too large or the localization is incompatible with surgery. Curettage is a simple low-cost technique which provides particularly satisfactory cosmetic results for very extensive giant congenital nevi. The risk of malignant transformation is greatly reduced although not totally. Regular clinical surveillance under conditions greatly improved by the clearing should help reduce the risk.

Background/purpose: Tracheobronchial ruptures in blunt thoracic trauma in children are rare. The aim of this study was to suggest the means of an early diagnosis and a conservative management as often as possible., Methods: Sixteen cases of tracheobronchial ruptures by blunt thoracic trauma were observed over 26 years in 9 regional pediatric centers., Results: There were 12 boys and 4 girls, from ages 1 hour to 17 years. Nine children presented with associated lesions. Fibroscopy established the following diagnosis: 8 tracheal wounds and 8 bronchial wounds. Six children were operated on within 18 hours (on average) after installation of a thoracic drainage. Two lobectomies, 3 ideal tracheal sutures, and 1 bronchial suture were performed. Seven children were treated exclusively by thoracic drainage. Two of them were intubated through the lesion, leading to a transitory endoprothesis accompanied or not by an external thoracic drainage. One infant recovered spontaneously. There were no deaths in this series. Two recurrent postoperative nerve injuries were noted, one of which was a transitory spontaneously resolutive scar bud and one a granuloma treated by laser. Three times, a stenosis occurred after a conservative management. Two were operated on., Conclusions: Tracheobronchial ruptures in children are rare. An early fibroscopy holds an important place in the approach of this pathology. Treatment is variable, based on thoracic lesions, their tolerance by the child, and associated lesions. Surgery is not the only therapy because conservative treatment by simple thoracic drainage or lesion intubation has proved effective.

Purpose of the Study: The authors report 2 cases of internal costal exostosis in children., Observations: Case 1: A 15-year-old boy with hereditary multiple exostosis presented for chest pain. Radiograph and CT scan showed an internal rib exostosis. It was removed by thoracotomy. Eighteen months later, the child was painfree. Case 2: An-11-year old boy presented with fever and a headache. A chest radiograph showed an image of pulmonary opacity interpreted as a pneumonia. The child was admitted for antibiotic therapy. Two months later, X-ray lesion persisted and a CT-scan was obtained. It showed a solitary costal internal exostosis which was removed by thoracotomy. At 12 months follow-up, he was asymptomatic., Discussion: Internal costal exostosis can induce some complications such as hemothorax, diaphragmatic or pericardic wounds. In case of symptomatic exostosis, the authors recommend a surgical removal to avoid severe complications. If the exostosis is asymptomatic, abstention can be recommend. As a matter of fact, hemothorax, for instance, can occur even due to a round and smooth exostosis without any history of trauma.

From 1980 to 1997, seventeen children were treated for malignant bone tumors in the Department of Paediatric Surgery of the Saint-Etienne Hospital, with an average follow-up of 6 years and 3 months (2M-17Y). The histologic diagnoses were osteosarcomas (12 cases) and Ewing's sarcomas (5 cases). All children were treated surgically. For the 12 lower limb tumors, the techniques used were prosthetic replacement in 7 cases (associated with bone allograft in 3 cases), amputation in 3 cases and isolated bone allograft in 2 cases. The two ilium tumors were treated by resection and reconstruction with autologous bone graft. A single resection was performed for the shoulder-blade Ewing's tumors and a prosthesis for the 2 proximal humerus tumors. Six children died during follow-up. The authors stress that carcinologic resection is a priority before functional results. They insist on the mechanical failures of implants and on the difficulties of reoperations.

Unlabelled: The conservative management of blunt splenic trauma in children has been generally accepted for about twenty years, in order to avoid serious post-splenectomy infectious complications. The objective of this study was to evaluate the results of conservative management., Patients and Methods: 21 cases of blunt splenic trauma were treated between 1 January 1991 and 31 December 1995. Eleven cases were isolated and 10 were associated with other visceral, musculoskeletal or head injuries. The lesion consisted of subcapsular or intraparenchymal haematoma in 8 cases and ruptured spleen in 13 cases. All children were initially managed conservatively, except in the case of unstable haemodynamic parameters after resuscitation, perforated viscus or secondary complication., Results: Emergency surgery for blunt splenic trauma was never required over this 5-year period. Four children required secondary surgery, 2 for left renal lesion, 1 for pancreatic pseudocyst and 1 for epidermoid cyst of the spleen discovered incidentally at the time of the trauma (partial splenectomy). No associated bowel perforations were observed. Four children were transfused, 3 for an associated visceral lesion and only once because of ruptured spleen. The mean length of hospital stay was 18.2 days in the case of isolated rupture and 28.7 days for a ruptured spleen associated with other lesions. No immediate or long-term complications were observed with a mean follow-up of 6 months., Conclusion: Conservative management of blunt splenic trauma is possible under good conditions of security and total splenectomy was never required. The blood transfusion rate was very low.

Purpose of the Study: Twenty children with cerebral palsy who underwent elongation of the triceps surae using successive plaster-casts (28 short triceps) were reviewed. This study was retrospective., Material and Methods: Among the eighteen children, 10 were hemiplegic, 8 were diplegic and 2 were spastic quadriparetic. All of them except one were ambulatory children. The authors describe their elongation technique by plaster-casts and the treatment they lead. The mean age at time of elongation was 4 years and 6 months (range 2 years 4 months to 8 years). The passive dorsiflexion of the foot before elongation was of 0 degree (range -20 degrees to +10 degrees) knee in extension, and of 5 degrees (range -15 degrees to +15 degrees) knee in flexion., Results: The passive dorsiflexion of the foot after elongation was of 23 degrees (range +10 degrees to +30 degrees) knee in extension, and of 27 degrees (range +10 degrees to +35 degrees) knee in flexion. One major complication was noted: the persistence of a varus foot in child after elongation. 24 elongations were reviewed with a mean follow-up of 21 months (range 12 months to 30 months). The passive dorsiflexion of the foot was of 10 degrees (range 0 degree to +20 degrees) knee in extension and of 17 degrees (range -5 degrees to +25 degrees) knee in flexion., Discussion: Compared to different procedures (surgical lengthening, botulinum-A toxin) elongation by successive plaster-casts is a quick, safe, complication-free, and simple technique, whose results are equivalent. Even if recurrence of equinus is probable, a surgical procedure of lengthening could be made on an operative-free tendon., Conclusion: Elongation of the triceps surae muscle by successive plaster-casts constitutes a safe alternative technique compared to surgical procedure.

We reported a case of scrotal panniculitis in a 7 year-old boy after exposure to cold by swimming in cold sea water. Scrotal cold panniculitis is an unusual, confined to prepuberal patients. This entity must be known to avoid surgical exploration because injuries subside spontaneously within few weeks.

The Peutz-Jeghers syndrome includes periorificial melanin spots and digestive adenoma, transmitted according to an autosomal dominant mode. We report on a case discovered in a 13 year-old girl presenting with anaemia.

We report two cases of localized tracheomalacia, one associated with esophageal atresia, and one isolated. The pathophysiology explains that the symptoms are more important during or shortly after eating, the alimentary bowl crushing the trachea against the aorta, or the innominate artery. The exact cause of tracheomalacia is unknown. Esophageal atresia is frequently associated. The tracheal compression is more often due to the innominate artery, because its origin is located on the left side of the trachea in infants. The aorta or a vascular anomaly are rarely implicated. The symptoms of tracheomalacia are largely due to airway obstruction during expiration: stridor, baking cough, and the life-threatening "dying spell". For diagnosis, the endoscopy is the most important investigation. Among the many methods of treatment which have been proposed, the aortopexy appears to be the technique giving the best results. A single acute apneic attack is an absolute indication for surgery. It is also important to rule out severe gastroesophageal reflux, which can produce the same symptoms.

Acute mediastinitis is uncommon. When it occurs, it usually follows an esophageal perforation or thoracic surgery. We report on a case of a 2-year-old girl with non traumatic mediastinitis secondary to a pharyngitis, due to Staphylococcus aureus. The anatomic pathways that connect the cervical region with the mediastinum explains how the infection can spread within the cervicothoracic spaces. Knowledge of this anatomy is also important in evaluating the possible causes of symptoms and signs in this area, and the possible complications of infections in these regions. The treatment associates antibiotics and drainage of the abscess by either surgical procedure or computed tomography guided selective needle aspirations.

A review of 152 cases of acute intestinal intussusception shows a dramatic evolution in its management within the last 15 years. Ultrasound is the main procedure utilized, and in the hands of a trained-radiologist, it allows a safe non-surgical treatment via barium or pneumatic reduction. Surgery is now limited to the rare cases of failure of the above treatment, and to advanced or complicated cases.

The authors report a retrospective series of 465 appendectomies with intraoperative celioscopy in children under age 16. The technical issues and the indications are discussed. The results are the following: No death, 3.6% intraoperative incidents of no consequence, 3% postoperative complications, including 1.3% requiring second surgery or celioscopy. These results are better than those obtained with conventional surgery. The advantages of appendicectomy with intraoperative celioscopy are the following: easy, quick search for the appendix, whatever its location, exploration of the entire abdominal cavity, possibility to perform a complete peritoneal washing, suppression of parietal complications, and almost no skin scar, definite reduction in the number of intraperitoneal residual abscesses, and likely reduction of postoperative adhesions, which are a cause of obstruction, of chronic pain and of infertility in girls, rapid resumption of transit and of all activities, including sports.

Esophageal lesions are often present in congenital epidermolysis bullosa. Bullae formation, ulceration and oedema ultimately will lead to stricture formation. Surgery is useful only for slowly evolutive forms. To prevent the risk of developing complete occlusion to the human of the esophagus, dilatations are performed under endoscopic control, that allows through nutrition without risk of local complication.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bone forming capacity of a Vicryl/collagene tape, placed in a defect of the palatal bone. In order to decrease the rate of bucco-nasal fistulaes after primary closure of a cleft palate, the authors carried out an experiment on dogs. First of all, we had to demonstrate the good tolerance of the tape in the buccal cavity. The first group of 5 dogs redieved the tape between buccal mucosae and palatal bone. The tolerance was excellent concerning the 12 biopsies on the mucosae after 1 month; 10 were totally normal and 2 revealed signs of inflammation on the medial incision. Concerning the second group, we needed to know the delay of bone formation of a "neo-palatal" defect; for that reason a 2 cm2 bone resection and a histological observation after 1 month and 1,5 months, in the right palatal bone was performed. Then we performed the same resection in 5 other dogs, and let the vicryl tape in the defect before closing the mucosae. The histological results of the second group showed that the ossification began after 1 month, and after 1.5 months the defect was totally covered by bone. The good results we obtained led us to go on with this experiment even if the low number of dogs included in this series does not allow us to a statistical evaluation. Exact responsibility of both, vicryl and collagene, has to be determined by a longer experiment, before realising the device in child's cleft palate.

23 cases of primary testicular tumors (TT) were observed in 6 different French divisions of Pediatric Surgery during a 10 year period. This series combined with a survey of the literature serve to stress the rarity of such tumors in boys under the age of 15 years. Yolk sac tumors are the most frequent ones (40%), followed by teratomas (32.5%) which, in children and in this localization, are almost always benign tumors of nongerminal origin, in particular rhabdomyosarcomas and tumors of sexual cords, represent 22% of an TT. They are different from what is observed in adults, in whom the most frequent tumors are seminomas, embryonal carcinomas and teratocarcinomas. Most testicular tumors reveal themselves as unilateral testicular masses. High serum alpha-foeto-protein is specific to yolk sac tumors and its post-operative surveillance is mandatory. Scrotal ultrasonography constitutes the main investigation in view of diagnosis and also serves to detect less evident tumors in case of precocious puberty, gynecomastia. Since lymphatic invasions are unusual in children, surgical exploration of the retro-peritoneal space is no longer considered necessary for the stagging and is replaced nowadays by ultrasonography and CT scan. In case of teratomas and others benign tumors, high inguinal orchiectomy is sufficient; in certain cases (well-delineated and superficial tumor in single-testis), tumorectomy alone is possible. As concerns Yolk sac tumors, the addition of chemotherapy from the age of 2, cures more than 90% of stage I tumors; radiotherapy is necessary when it comes to stage II or III. As for testicular rhabdomyosarcomas, in which prognosis is better than in others areas, the combination of surgery, chemotherapy and perhaps radiotherapy is able to cure from 80 to 90% of them.

This is a survey of the French South-East Group of Research in Pediatric Surgery (GRECPSE) concerning 18 Solid Adrenal Tumors, observed during a 20-years period (1969-1989) in 11 boys and 8 girls. 13 are tumors of the adrenal cortex (9 adenomas and 4 carcinomas). Clinical virilization is found in 7, cushing's syndrome in 3; while feminizing tumor, Conn's syndrome and non hormone-secreting form are quite exceptional (1 case each, respectively). 5 are adrenal pheochromocytomas (4 benign tumors and 1 malignant with local invasion). Ultrasonography, CT Scan and MIBG Scintigraphy are modern procedures which permit localization of the small and non palpable tumors with high accuracy. They make easier surgical management. Differentiation between benign and malignant tumors of the adrenal glands still remains the main problem. The course of the disease is surely the only distinguishing parameter. However weight tumor and selective histopathological characteristics are useful in predicting the prognosis and behavior of such tumors = Mitotic activity for adrenocortical tumors, extensive areas of necrosis and small cells for pheochromocytomas have the highest discriminating value.