Alimentary tract duplications in newborns and children: Diagnostic aspects and the role of laparoscopic treatment

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Abstract

Alimentary tract duplications are rare congenital lesions normally diagnosed in newborns and children that can occur anywhere from the mouth to the anus and have a reported incidence of approximately 1 in 4500 life births. Symptoms and clinical presentation vary greatly. The presentation varies according to age and location. The treatment finally is surgical; total resection when possible should be the aim of the intervention. In pediatric surgery minimally invasive surgical procedures became more and more important over the last decades. In consequence the operative procedure on alimentary tract duplications changed in this manner. We review on case reports and clinical reports on minimally invasive surgery in the treatment of alimentary tract duplications, determine the importance of minimally invasive techniques in the treatment of this rare entity and rule out that further studies in the field should be performed.

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Most cited references 57

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Gastrointestinal tract duplications: clinical, pathologic, etiologic, and radiologic considerations.

Iain R J Macpherson (1993)

Gastrointestinal tract duplications are uncommon congenital abnormalities. By definition, they are located in or adjacent to the wall of part of the gastrointestinal tract, have smooth muscle in their walls, and are lined by alimentary tract mucosa. The lining mucosa is not necessarily that of the adjacent segment of the gastrointestinal tract. The only clinically important ectopic tissues are gastric mucosa and pancreatic tissue. Although ectopic gastric mucosa is found in duplications at all levels of the gastrointestinal tract, it is most prevalent (43%) in esophageal duplications. Peptic ulcer within this ectopic tissue can account for unusual, often misleading symptoms. Ectopic pancreatic tissue is most common (37%) in gastric duplications and is associated with pancreatitis and elevated amylase levels. Detection of associated vertebral anomalies is a helpful clue in the radiographic diagnosis of duplications. Barium studies usually reveal an intraluminal, intramural, or extrinsic mass, and ultrasonography (US) demonstrates its cystic nature. When US findings are inconclusive, computed tomography can be used to show the true nature, location, and extent of the lesion, as well as associated vertebral anomalies and possible other duplications. Technetium-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy provides definitive evidence of a duplication when it contains ectopic gastric mucosa and is particularly useful for suspected esophageal, duodenal, and small bowel lesions.

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Surgical management of alimentary tract duplications.

Tyler J O’Neill, H Bishop, A Gheissari … (1989)

Alimentary tract duplications are unusual anomalies that may require surgical intervention in the neonate, infant, and occasionally in the older child. The clinical presentation of patients with alimentary tract duplications includes bleeding, abdominal pain, intussusception, and respiratory distress, or it may be an incidental finding on either abdominal examination or chest x-ray. A review of 96 patients with 101 duplications seen over the last 37 years is reported herein. Twenty-one duplications were confined to the thorax; three were thoracoabdominal, and 77 were abdominal. Seventy-four patients presented as infants less than 2 years of age, and 22 patients were older. Ectopic gastric mucosa was found in 21 duplications, and pancreatic tissue was found in five. Seventy-five duplications were cystic and 26 were tubular. Ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), and myelography are helpful diagnostic tools. Ninety-four of the 96 patients underwent surgical management for their duplications. One duplication was found at necropsy, and one patient was asymptomatic and did not undergo operation. A single death occurred in a 2-day-old infant who had intrauterine volvulus and meconium peritonitis. Management was based on the age and condition of the patient, the location of the lesion, whether it was cystic or tubular and communicating with the true intestinal lumen, and whether it involved one or more anatomic locations. Generally, total excision was preferred, but staged approaches were sometimes necessary.

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Gastrointestinal duplications.

P S Puligandla, L T Nguyen, D St-Vil … (2003)

The aim of this study was to review the presentations of gastrointestinal duplication (GID) and to assess the influence of prenatal diagnosis on treatment. Retrospective review of all GID at 2 pediatric hospitals from 1980-2002 was conducted. Seventy-three patients (M43:F30) were identified: 21 neonates, 28 infants (1 to 24 months), 15 children (1 to 10 years), 9 adolescents (>/=11 years). GID location by frequency was ileum (31.5%), ileocaecal valve (30.2%), duodenum (9.6%), stomach (8.2%), jejunum (8.2%), colon (6.8%), and rectum (5.5%). In neonates and infants, vomiting and distension were the most common presentations. Volvulus, caused by a duplication, occurred in 23.8% of neonates and caused the death of one neonate. Intussusception was identified in 10.9% of patients. In older children and adolescents, pain and vomiting were the most common associations. Six of these patients were being treated for Crohn's disease, with the diagnosis of duplication made at laparotomy. Eighteen patients had a prenatal diagnosis by ultrasound scan, with 77.2% of these asymptomatic after birth. Most prenatal diagnoses occurred after 1991 (77.8%). When comparing an earlier period (1980 to 1991; 29 patients) with the current (1992 to 2002; 44 patients), a greater proportion of the latter patients were asymptomatic (36.4 v 13.8%) and had a lower incidence of complications (volvulus/intussusception). GID can lead to life-threatening complications. Prenatal diagnosis should lead to expeditious postnatal investigation and treatment before the onset of symptoms or complications. GID in older children can mimic Crohn's disease. Laparoscopy/laparotomy should be considered in patients with atypical Crohn's disease or when the diagnosis of an intraabdominal mass is unclear. Copyright 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.