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Ingestion of magnets is becoming a common problem among children and teens and are known to be associated with serious complications that result from pressure necrosis and bowel perforation. We report a series of eight children with multiple magnets ingestion that resulted in complications including small bowel perforation and intestinal obstruction necessitating an emergency laparotomy and intestinal resection. The aim of this report is to raise awareness of the complications associated with magnet ingestion in children. The literature on the subject is also reviewed and early surgical intervention is recommended for multiple swallowed magnets. The role of laparoscopy in this regard is also stressed.

Although inguinal hernias are a common finding in premature infants, it is usually caused by the protrusion of the bowel through a persistent patent processus vaginalis. However, acute appendicitis in association with an inguinal hernia in this age group is a rare finding. This type of hernia is referred to as an Amyand hernia.

Segmental omental infarction (SOI) is an unusual and rare cause of abdominal pain in children and is often mistaken for acute appendicitis preoperatively. SOI once diagnosed preoperatively should be treated conservatively. Surgical intervention, however, may be necessary in order to establish definitive diagnosis and treatment. We present 2 children with SOI diagnosed as acute appendicitis preoperatively. Laparoscopy established the diagnosis and treatment. Laparoscopy should be the procedure of choice in children presenting with right-sided abdominal pain that is not well established preoperatively. This is especially so in obese children. Laparoscopy not only establishes the diagnosis of SOI but laparoscopic omentectomy results in resolution of symptoms and faster recovery.

Achalasia is rare in the pediatric age group and in most cases it is idiopathic with no family history. Familial achalasia is very rare. This report describes two families with achalasia: in one, six children were affected while in the other a brother and a sister had Allgrove’s syndrome (triple-A syndrome consisting of achalasia, adrenal insufficiency, and alacrima). Familial achalasia suggests that it is hereditary and may be transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait. The management of achalasia in children is still controversial. With the recent advances in minimal invasive surgery, laparoscopic Heller’s myotomy is the procedure of choice in the management of achalasia in children.

Survivors of childhood malignancies are known to be at an increased risk for developing a variety of secondary cancers. Primary adenocarcinoma of the colon is very rare in children and adenocarcinoma of the colon occurring as a secondary malignancy in children is much rarer. A boy with a history of successfully treated embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma developed adenocarcinoma of the colon as a secondary cancer. The boy presented with a solid mass of the left cheek at 3 years of age. The mass was excised and histological examination showed embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. He was treated with multi-agent chemotherapy and local radiotherapy, which resulted in complete remission. Four years later, he presented with recurrent colicky abdominal pain and bleeding per rectum and was found to have intussusceptions. Colonoscopy revealed a tumor in the transverse colon, which was biopsied and proved to be an adenocarcinoma. The boy underwent excision followed by chemotherapy using an adult colon cancer regimen. He is currently off chemotherapy for 2 years with no evidence of the disease. We report a rare case of colon cancer after treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma. Colorectal adenocarcinoma must be kept in mind as a secondary neoplasm following treatment for early childhood malignancies although it is extremely rare.