[Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for neuroblastoma. Our serie and review of literature]. / Adrenalectomía laparoscópica en neuroblastoma. Presentación de nuestra serie y revisión de la literatura.

INTRODUCTION: Neuroblastoma is the most frequent adrenal mass in paediatric patients. Paediatric series about laparoscopic adrenalectomy are scarce, usually including adrenal masses from different origin. Series referring only to neuroblastoma are very rare. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We present 7 patients between 4 and 48 month of age. RESULTS: We performed 8 laparoscopic adrenalectomy and one biopsy. Lateral transperitoneal approach was used in all patients. We employed 3 ports on the left side and 4 on the right side. All tumours were extracted into a bag through the most posterior incision. One patient underwent a laparotomy because of important adherences. The average operative time was 88 minutes, and average time before discharging was 48 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is the gold standard in adult patients. Transperitoneal access achieves better working area. Paediatric patients don't have many surgical indications for adrenalectomy and the space inside the patient's body is smaller. Laparoscopy offers a less painful solution than open surgery, so that sooner discharging, and better scar's results. The outcome is similar to traditional surgery. Laparoscopy is an useful and safe procedure in paediatric patients with adrenal neuroblastoma, in very selected cases.

[Prospective study of 288 cases of acute appendicitis during childhood: characteristics in preschool children]. / Estudio prospectivo de 288 apendicitis agudas en la infancia: Características en los niños menores de 5 años.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to verify that preschool children with acute appendicitis show some clinical characteristics which, associated with the faster evolution of the infection at this age, result in a higher incidence of perforations, peritonitis and complications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A group of 288 children between 9 months and 17 years of age with acute appendicitis was studied over a 17-month period, ending July 1993. They were divided into two age groups: Group I (< 5 years: n = 45) and Group II (5 or more years: n = 243). Comparisons between clinical, laboratory and radiological findings, appendiceal pathology, microbiology and complications were made. RESULTS: Children fro Group I showed a higher incidence of perforations (29% vs 7.8%), peritonitis (69% vs 36%), appendiceal masses (37% vs 10.2%), positive cultures (66% vs 18%) and complications (24% vs 9.8%) than those from Group II. All differences were found to be significant (p < 0.05). Children from Group I more frequently showed a set of clinical characteristics forming an atypical picture consisting of: 1) Diffuse abdominal pain (69% vs 30%); 2) Associated infections with non-specific symptoms (33% vs 11.5%); 3) Previous therapy with antimicrobial agents (40% vs 9.8%); 4) X-ray findings compatible with gastroenteritis (27% vs 7.4%); and 5) Inability of the child to specify the intensity and location of pain. CONCLUSIONS: All these factors justified the delay in the diagnosis and its significant relationship with the higher incidence of peritonitis in this age group.

[Prospective and comparative study of cefoxitin and ceftizoxime in appendicitis surgery]. / Estudio prospectivo y comparativo entre cefoxitina y ceftizoxima en cirugía apendicular.

OBJECTIVE: Acute appendicitis is the most common acute surgical disease in childhood and it still presents frequent septic complications. This prospective and randomized study compares the efficacy of two cephalosporins (cefoxitin and ceftizoxime) in terms of clinical response, in vitro activity and characteristics of use in clinical practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Of the 288 children with acute appendicitis admitted over a period of 15 months, 148 received cefoxitin (100 mg/kg/24 h; Group I) and 140 ceftizoxime (100 mg/kg/24 h; Group II) RESULTS: No significant differences were seen between these two groups in clinical response or infectious complication rates. In addition, activities of both antimicrobial agents against pathogens recovered from the peritoneal cultures of all patients were similar. The overall most common isolates were E. coli (75.5%), bacteroides species (33.7%) and Pseudomonas (32.4%). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that ceftizoxime is as effective as cefoxitin and can be surely employed in the treatment of acute appendicitis in children. Its addition, its longer half-life simplifies its use in clinical practice.

[The histopathological diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease. Our experience over 18 years]. / Diagnóstico histopatológico de la enfermedad de Hirschsprung. Nuestra experiencia en dieciocho años.

Having had several cases of difficult interpretation from the anatomopathological point of view, we make a review of all intestinal biopsies carried out in 54 patients for diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease and above all of the suction rectal biopsies. The result has been seven cases with false diagnosis that represents 22 per 100 of the series. We analyse the possible causes that can lead to false positives and negatives results with the suction rectal biopsy, like the height where the biopsy has been taken, the age of the patients (71 per 100 of false results were in children under one month) and finally other diagnosis like hyperganglionisme.

[Meckel's diverticulum in children. A series of cases over 16 years]. / Divertículo de Meckel en la infancia. Casuística de dieciseis años.

The authors review 45 cases of patients with Meckel's Diverticulum, 28 were symtomatics and 17 asymtomatics. DM symtomatics were more frequent in males 3:1 and usually the diagnosis was made between 0 and 4 years of age. 85% apared with rectal bleeding, diverticulitis and intestinal obstruction. Near all cases with rectal bleeding and diverticulitis were associated with heterotopic mucosa (90%). The best method of diagnosis is the Tc-99 pertechnetate scan although it has been used in small number of cases because of the emergency. The results have been goods except one death, two intestinal obstructions and two wound infections.