Characterization of acute appendicitis in diabetic children.

Purpose: Children with diabetes mellitus (DM) who develop acute appendicitis can present a diagnostic and clinical challenge. No studies have examined this population since the advent of multiple dose insulin therapy, computed tomography, and laparoscopic surgery. We sought to characterize these children to identify their differences and how to best care for them.

Late onset diaphragmatic hernia complicated by intestinal strangulation.

We present a case of a 7-week-old infant who presented with nonspecific respiratory symptoms that quickly progressed to sudden cardiac arrest as a consequence of late-onset diaphragmatic hernia and intestinal strangulation. Unless discovered as an incidental finding, late-onset diaphragmatic hernia should be considered a surgical emergency.

Management of button battery-induced hemorrhage in children.

Objectives: Button battery ingestions are potentially life threatening for children. Catastrophic and fatal injuries can occur when the battery becomes lodged in the esophagus, where battery-induced injury can extend beyond the esophagus to the trachea or aorta. Increased production of larger, more powerful button batteries has coincided with more frequent reporting of fatal hemorrhage secondary to esophageal battery impaction, but no recommendations exist for the management of button battery-induced hemorrhage in children.

An unusual colonic duplication associated with a foreign body and anemia: a tale of 2 colons.

Alimentary tract "duplications" are infrequent and usually present in infancy and childhood. The diagnostic difficulties associated with these congenital anomalies underscore the need for a high level of awareness given the variable spectrum of clinical presentation. We report a child with a colonic duplication who presented with an intestinal foreign body and iron deficiency anemia.

S100A8/A9: a potential new diagnostic aid for acute appendicitis.

Objectives: Diagnosing acute appendicitis is a daunting clinical challenge, as there is no single test that reliably distinguishes acute appendicitis from other etiologies of acute abdominal pain. In this study, the authors examined whether circulating levels of S100A8/A9 could be useful as a marker to aid in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

Methods: Plasma samples from emergency department (ED) patients with acute abdominal pain (n=181) were tested using an immunoassay for S100A8/A9.

Primary pancreatic neuroblastoma: an unusual tumor in infancy.

Fetal imaging has dramatically impacted neonatal care by providing an advanced warning of many different congenital anomalies. The advancements and widespread use of fetal imaging has, however, increased the identification of various incidental findings that is creating new challenges for neonatal diagnosis and treatment. We report such a case where a fetal pancreatic neuroblastoma (NB) was incidentally detected by computed tomographic scan of the maternal abdomen.