The surgical experience for retroperitoneal, mesenteric and omental cyst in children.

Purpose: Intra-abdominal cystic masses originating from the retroperitoneum, mesentery or omentum are very rare and mostly benign tumors, but sometimes present as a complicated cyst encasing the major organs.

Methods: We analyzed the clinical findings, histologic diagnosis, and surgical outcomes in children who underwent operation for retroperitoneal, omental, and mesenteric cyst from 1998 to 2010, retrospectively.

Results: Twenty-three patients (male, 12; female, 11) underwent the operation at a median age of 46 months (range, 9 days to 16 years).

Adrenocortical tumors in children 18 years old and younger.

Purpose: Pediatric adrenocortical tumors (ACTs) are rare. We reviewed findings in 8 children, 18 years of age or younger, diagnosed with ACT in our institution over the past 15 years.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 8 children with ACTs treated between 1996 and 2010.

Clinical experience with persistent cloaca.

Purpose: Persistent cloaca is one of the most severe types of anorectal malformation. Appropriate initial drainage is difficult due to their various malformations and hydrocolpos or dilated urinary bladder. Corrective surgery also differs among individual patients.

Surgery for hepatoblastoma: from laparoscopic resection to liver transplantation.

Background/aims: Introduction of liver transplantation and the application of minimally invasive surgery for selected hepatoblastoma patients made a tailored surgical approach possible according to the tumor status.

Methodology: We retrospectively evaluated clinical outcomes of 38 pediatric patients with pathologically proven hepatoblastoma who underwent surgery at our institute between 1991 and 2009. Especially, we evaluated recent changes in clinical outcomes since the commencement of liver transplantations and laparoscopic resections for hepatoblastoma patients from 2007.

Early vs. delayed surgery for choledochal cyst with acute pancreatitis in children.

Background/aims: Few reports have appeared on the development of acute pancreatitis in children with choledochal cysts and no information on optimal timing of surgery is available. We assessed patient outcomes relative to timing of surgery and serum amylase and lipase concentrations.

Methodology: We reviewed 29 patients < or = 15 years old with acute pancreatitis, as evidenced by abdominal pain, increased serum amylase and lipase concentrations (>200 IU/L for each), and radiological examination, who underwent surgery for congenital choledochal cysts between 2000 and 2010.

An 18-year experience of tracheoesophageal fistula and esophageal atresia.

Purpose: To determine the clinical manifestations and outcomes of patients with tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) and esophageal atresia (EA) born at a single neonatal intensive care unit.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted for 97 patients with confirmed TEF and EA who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit between 1990 and 2007.

Results: The rate of prenatal diagnosis was 12%.

Use of laparoscopic surgical resection for pediatric malignant solid tumors: a case series.

Background: Minimally invasive surgery for malignant pediatric tumors remains controversial, and few cases have been published. The present study reports on our initial experiences of laparoscopic surgical resection for selected pediatric malignant solid tumors.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from ten pediatric patients who underwent laparoscopic surgical resection for malignant solid tumors at our institute between April 2005 and January 2010.

Extrarenal teratoid Wilms' tumor: two cases in unusual locations, one associated with elevated serum AFP.

Teratoid Wilms' tumor is an unusual morphological entity characterized by a classic triphasic malignancy with predominantly heterologous tissue. The authors describe two cases of teratoid Wilms' tumor with an extrarenal site: one in a 13-year-old girl with vaginal spotting (patient 1) and another in a 1-day-old girl with a sacrococcygeal mass (patient 2). The tumors were located in the vagina and coccyx, respectively.

Complications and risk factors of infection in pediatric hemato-oncology patients with totally implantable access ports (TIAPs).

Background: Totally implantable access ports (TIAPs) are widely used in pediatric hematology-oncology patients. We investigated the incidence of complications, causes of TIAP removal, and risk factors for infection.

Procedure: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical, demographic, and surgical characteristics in 225 pediatric hematology-oncology patients implanted with 238 TIAPs between January 2004 and December 2005.

Experience with meconium peritonitis.

Background: Meconium peritonitis is a sterile chemical peritonitis resulting from intrauterine bowel perforation. With the development of neonatal care, the prognosis of meconium peritonitis improved much. We report our clinical experience.

Avulsion of wandering spleen after traumatic torsion.

Wandering spleen usually causes clinical symptoms by torsion. Cases of torsion or hemorrhage after blunt trauma are reported. The authors experienced avulsion of wandering spleen after traumatic torsion in the victim of pedestrian injury.