Splenic artery embolisation for portal hypertension in children.

Background: Bleeding from esophageal varices is one of the most common causes of serious gastrointestinal haemorrhage in children. We analysed our experience with the use of splenic artery embolisation and variceal sclerotherapy for bleeding oesophageal varices.

Patients And Methods: Records of all patients treated for bleeding oesophageal varices caused by portal hypertension from 1998 to 2004 were retrospectively analysed.

Duodenal intubation and test for bile - a reliable method to rule out biliary atresia.

Between January 1997 and December 1998, 30 consecutive children with suspected biliary atresia (BA) were selected to assess whether duodenal intubation (DI) and testing of aspirate for bile would help to rule out BA. Duodenal fluid was aspirated every 2 h for 24 h and tested for bile. A HIDA scan was also done in all cases.

Trypsin activity in stool and duodenal aspirate of neonates for differential diagnosis of intestinal obstruction.

The diagnosis of a non-surgical cause of delayed passage of meconium in a neonate may be challenging to the pediatric surgeon. The usefulness of determining trypsin activity (TA) in stool and duodenal aspirate for the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF) and the existence of an entity called transient deficiency of trypsin (TTD) was assessed in 49 neonates over a 14-month period. TA was determined by a gelatin liquefaction technique.

Pseudoexstrophy of the bladder: a rare variant.

A 15-day-old female presented with a healed omphalocele and a triangular musculoskeletal defect in the hypogastric area similar to the defect seen in classic bladder exstrophy. The bladder was normal on exploration. The defect was successfully closed using a bilateral anterior pubic ramotomy.