Clinical significance of sarcopenia in children with neuroblastic tumors.

Purpose: To elucidate the clinical significance of sarcopenia in children with neuroblastic tumors (NTs).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study and analyzed the z-scores for height, body weight, body mass index, and skeletal muscle index (HT-z, BW-z, BMI-z, and SMI-z) along with the clinical characteristics of 36 children with NTs. SMI-z was calculated from 138 computed tomography scans at diagnosis, during treatment, and at follow-up.

Vaginal yolk sac tumor resected by a novel laparo/endoscope-assisted posterior sagittal approach: a case report.

Background: Yolk sac tumor (YST) is a germ cell tumor that is generally associated with good prognosis in children. It has been recently reported that vaginal YSTs can be cured using chemotherapy alone. Thus, minimal invasiveness and function preservation are pre-requisites for surgical approaches.

Successful endoscopic surgical treatment of pleuroperitoneal communication in two infant cases.

Background: Pleuroperitoneal communication (PPC) is an uncommon, but potentially life-threatening complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD). If a fistula does not close with conservative treatment, surgical repair is required. However, approximately half of these patients are forced to shift from PD to hemodialysis.