Latent vitellointestinal duct sinus presenting with massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding in an adolescent.

A 12-year-old boy with a history, at birth, of a weeping pink fleshy lesion after his umbilical cord detached, requiring repeated chemical cauterisation, presented with massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding and required resuscitation and blood transfusion. Augmented Tc99m nuclear medicine scan confirmed ectopic gastric mucosa. The lateral view suggested its attachment behind the umbilicus. At exploration, a latent vitellointestinal duct sinus with ectopic gastric mucosal mass was found. Segmental resection of the sinus and mass excision with primary anastomosis and incidental appendicectomy was curative. Pink fleshy mass discharging coloured fluid at the umbilicus following detachment of umbilical cord should be considered a remnant of vitellointestinal duct unless proved otherwise. A pink lesion with yellowish discharge resistant to chemical cauterisation should raise the suspicion of embryonic structures. Latent vitellointestinal sinus is a new lesion in the spectrum of umbilical anomalies. Lateral view of the nuclear medicine scan is helpful in locating the site.

Paediatric giant cervicomediastinal thymolipoma.

We report a case of a 11-year-old boy who presented with a massive soft tissue right cervical painless and progressive lesion displacing trachea to the left and extending into the anteriosuperior mediastinum which was diagnosed to be a lipomatous mass on chest CT scan. Subsequent biopsy and total excision proved it to be a giant cervicomediastinal thymolipoma. It was successfully excised with excellent prognosis and long-term results. A giant paediatric cervicomediastinal thymolipoma is a rare, benign, mediastinal mass of thymic origin. It may remain asymptomatic despite massive size and up to 50% in some series are associated with autoimmune disease. CT scan gives fat density and encapsulated benign nature and biopsy usually establishes the diagnosis. Preoperative tissue diagnosis is important as now the availability of thoracoscopic option is best suited to reduce morbidity. Treatment of choice is total excision using open surgical, minimal invasive techniques or robotic surgery and the prognosis is excellent.

Surgical management of ovarian disease in infants, children, and adolescents: a 15-year review.

BACKGROUND: Despite the reported efficacy and the presumed benefits of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for ovarian lesions in adults, questions remain as to the surgical indications, results, and outcomes for these procedures across pediatric age groups. The aim of this study was to review our experience with the management of ovarian disease in children to determine if there has been a shift in the management of these lesions from open surgery (OS) to an MIS approach in the pediatric population. METHODS: An institutional review board (IRB)-approved retrospective chart review included all patients who underwent surgical management of ovarian disease from January 1, 1992 to July 10, 2007. Patients with ectopic pregnancy, known pelvic inflammatory disease, or concomitant illness requiring operative management at the time of ovarian surgery were excluded. Demographics, clinical signs and symptoms, diagnosis, surgical outcomes, and history of prior abdominal procedures were obtained. Statistical analysis included comparison of means, paired t-test, chi-squared test, and multivariate analysis, where indicated. RESULTS: A total of 231 patients were evaluated in this study, with a mean age of 12.8 years (range, 3 weeks to 20 years). There were 221 (95.7%) benign lesions and 10 (4.3%) were malignant. There were 156 simple or hemorrhagic cysts (70.5%) and 46 mature teratomas (20.8%). Three complications (1.3%) occurred, which were associated with surgery and no mortalities. Abdominal pain (82.3%), nausea or vomiting (24.2%), and abdominal tenderness (10.0%) were the most common presenting symptoms or signs. Operative outcomes for benign disease (n = 221) were compared between MIS and open cases over the entire time period as well as within three consecutive 5-year time intervals. CONCLUSIONS: There was a notable shift toward the management of benign ovarian disease in using MIS techniques over the course of three different 5-year intervals. This approach was also associated with shorter hospital stay, less operative blood loss, and shorter operative times, when compared to an open approach. When indicated, a laparoscopic approach should be performed for presumed benign ovarian disease in children.