Reflux esophageal stricture--a review of 30 years' experience in children.

Purpose: Strictures of the esophagus in children may have multiple etiologies including congenital, inflammatory, infectious, caustic ingestion, and gastroesophageal reflux (peptic stricture [PS]). Current literature lacks good data documenting long-term outcomes in children. This makes it difficult to counsel some patients about realistic treatment expectations.

Clinical variables as prognostic tools in pediatric-onset ulcerative colitis: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Clinical variables may identify a subset of patients with pediatric-onset ulcerative colitis (UC) (≤18 years at diagnosis) at risk for adverse outcomes. We postulated that routinely measured clinical variables measured at diagnosis would predict colectomy in patients with pediatric-onset UC.

Methods: We conducted a chart review of patients with pediatric-onset UC at a single center over a 10-year period.

The split abdominal wall muscle flap repair for large congenital diaphragmatic hernias on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Background: Numerous techniques exist for repairing large congenital diaphragmatic hernias (CDHs) including prosthetic patches, tissue-engineered grafts, and various muscle flaps. A split abdominal wall muscle flap is a simple, durable way to repair a large diaphragmatic hernia. This technique has not gained widespread use, and some have suggested that it would be inappropriate in the setting of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) because of bleeding risk.

The split abdominal wall muscle flap--a simple, mesh-free approach to repair large diaphragmatic hernia.

Purpose: The authors present a technique to repair large diaphragmatic hernias that is simple, can be done primarily, and offers a durable closure with living tissue.

Methods: A review of congenital diaphragmatic hernias was performed for the period between January 1991 and August 2000. Repair types included primary repair, synthetic patch, or a split abdominal wall muscle flap.

High-dose steroids, ursodeoxycholic acid, and chronic intravenous antibiotics improve bile flow after Kasai procedure in infants with biliary atresia.

Background/purpose: Early reports suggest that the use of steroids after Kasai portoenterostomy may improve bile flow and outcome in infants with biliary atresia.

Methods: Of 28 infants with biliary atresia, half received adjuvant high-dose steroids, and half received standard therapy. Infants in the steroid group (n = 14) received intravenous solumedrol (taper of 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 mg/kg/d), followed by 8 to 12 weeks of prednisone (2 mg/kg/d).

Biliary tract anomalies in thoraco-omphalopagus conjoined twins.

Thoraco-omphalopagus conjoined twins were separated urgently on the ninth day of life because of bowel obstruction and impending intestinal perforation. Preoperative studies clarified the cardiac, intestinal, and hepatic parenchymal anomalies, but the precise biliary anatomy remained obscure. Operative cholangiogram through the single gallbladder visualized only the extrahepatic biliary anatomy in twin A.