Multi-organ/disseminated echinococcosis in children: Case series and review of the literature.

AIM: Echinococcosis with multi-organ/disseminated involvement is rare in childhood. We aimed to evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics and prognosis in paediatric patients with echinococcosis having multiorgan/disseminated involvement. METHOD: We evaluated retrospectively children with echinococcosis with involvement of three or more organs. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were included in the study. The median age was 120 (range 71-189) months. Three (23%) were diagnosed incidentally. Abdominal pain was seen in 5 (38.4%) patients, vomiting in 4 (30.7%), headache in 3 (23%), cough in 2 (15.3%), groin pain in 1 (7.6%), 1 (7.6%) had jaundice and 1 (7.6%) had fever. The median duration of complaints was 48 (0-140) days. The most common tripartite organ was 38.4% (5/13) liver, lung and spleen. Isolated abdominal dissemination was detected in two patients. Two patients had multi-organ involvement and multiple cysts with dissemination. Cyst rupture was observed in three of the patients; recurrent urinary tract infection, hydroureteronephrosis, secondary peritonitis with intra-abdominal abscess, and biliary tract fistula were each observed in one patient. Relapse developed in 3 (23%) patients. CONCLUSION: Echinococcosis is a very slow growing and complex parasitic disease that affects many organs and tissues. In our study, eosinophilia, recurrence, and complications were seen at a higher rate in paediatric patients with multiorgan involvement, who required repetitive surgeries and long-term medical treatment. However, there are scanty data on risk factors, optimum treatment and prognosis.

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis mimicking free intraabdominal air following chemotherapy for relapsed acute myeloblastic leukemia in a transplanted neutropenic child: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PI) is a rare but important condition in which widespread air sacs are found in the submucosa, and subserosa of the bowel wall. Although it has several etiologies, children receiving chemotherapy are at risk for PI. Preferred imaging tools for the diagnosis are abdominal direct radiography and computed tomography. In patients with PI, rupture of intramural air sacs is the source of benign pneumoperitoneum, causing free air without true intestinal perforation. Intestinal perforation or obstruction are indications for surgical intervention. CASE: Here, we present a 4-year-old patient diagnosed with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from a matched sibling donor (MSD) and developed PI after HSCT. The patient was consulted to the pediatric surgery department, and her oral feeding was stopped. Broad spectrum antibiotics (teicoplanin, metronidazol and vancomycin) were initiated. Her fever increased during the 24-hour monitoring, there was no stool passage, CRP ( > 25 mg/dL, normal value < 1 mg/dL) and abdominal distension increased and there was prolonged neutropenia and radiologic investigations could not rule out intestinal perforation, so the patient underwent exploratory laparotomy. No intestinal perforation was found. There was no sign in the intestinal wall and numerous gas-filled cysts of various sizes. CONCLUSIONS: PI is an uncommon complication, and direct radiography/computed tomography scans are very helpful in making the diagnosis in suspicious cases. PI, should be kept in mind, especially in transplanted or relapsed leukemia patients receiving intensive chemotherapy.

Laparoscopy-Assisted Percutaneous Cholangiography in Biliary Atresia Diagnosis: Comparison with Open Technique.

Introduction. Biliary atresia is a surgical cause of prolonged jaundice, which needs to be diagnosed with cholangiography that has traditionally been performed via laparotomy. Laparoscopic assistance has lately been introduced to avoid unnecessary laparotomy. We aim to evaluate the benefits of the laparoscopy-assisted cholangiography and compare it to the traditional procedure via laparotomy. Patients and Method. The medical records of the cases who had undergone cholangiography for prolonged jaundice between 2007 and 2014 were analyzed. The patients were grouped according to cholangiography technique (laparotomy/laparoscopy). The laparoscopy and laparotomy groups with patent bile ducts were focused and compared in terms of operation duration, postoperative initiation time of enteral feeding, and full enteral feeding achievement time. Results. Sixty-one infants with prolonged jaundice were evaluated between 2007 and 2014. Among the patients with patent bile ducts, operation duration, postoperative enteral feeding initiation time, and the time to achieve full enteral feeding were shorter in laparoscopy group. Conclusion. Laparoscopic cholangiography is safe and less time-consuming compared to laparotomy, with less postoperative burden. As early age of operation is a very important prognostic factor, laparoscopic evaluation should be an early option in work-up of the infants with prolonged jaundice with direct hyperbilirubinemia, for diagnosis/exclusion of biliary atresia.