Results of treatment of fifty children with persistent cloaca in one center

BACKGROUND: The preserved cloaca is a particular type of anorectal anomaly. The combination of urological, genital, and rectal abnormalities makes radical reconstruction difficult. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study examined operations performed in 50 patients with persistent cloaca treated from 2010 to 2021. Two groups are presented: the first with 35 children and a short canal (3 cm), and the second with 15 children and a long canal (3 cm). We examined the prognosis for bowel control, the type of operation, the need for vaginal reconstruction, complications after surgery, and the days of hospital stay. RESULTS: Anomalies of the Mllerian ducts in the second group (94%) were higher than in the first (36%) (p 0.001). The sacral index and myelodysplasia did not differ in both groups. The sacral index in the first group was 0.62 0.14, and in the second group, it was 0.58 0.14 (p = 0.520). Myelodysplasia in the first group was 33%, and in the second group, it was 38% (p = 0.744). Total urogenital mobilization (51%) was used in the first group, and abdominal reconstruction (54%) was used in the second group. Vaginal reconstruction was required in 28% of patients in the first group and 60% in the second group. Complications were 3.5 times more likely in the first group (60% versus 17% in the second) (p = 0.003). The length of hospital stay in patients in the second group was longer than that of patients in the first group. CONCLUSION: Our study data demonstrate that the reconstruction of a persistent cloaca requires individual planning of the operation, considering the length of the canal and the state of all structures forming the cloaca.

Idiopathic omentum infarction in children — the law of "paired cases": cases report

BACKGROUND: One of the rare causes of abdominal pain in children is an omental infarction. In the literature, there are few descriptions of this pathology in childhood. The disease is often diagnosed only intraoperatively because of its nonspecific clinical picture. Therefore, the clinical cases presented in the article may be of interest to pediatric surgeons. CASES REPORT: In the pediatric surgical department of our clinic, two patients aged five and six years old were treated after being admitted with abdominal pain syndrome, the clinical picture of which did not allow to exclude an acute surgical pathology. A laparoscopy was performed to clarify the diagnosis. Isolated lesions of the segments of the greater omentum were revealed without signs of torsion and pathology of other organs. The operations were completed by resection of the altered omental sections. Histopathological examination revealed hemorrhages and tissue necrosis. DISCUSSION: The localization of pain in the right abdomen necessitates differentiating the disease from acute appendicitis, cholecystitis, and acute gynecological pathology. In the treatment of patients with omental infarction, there are supporters of conservative and surgical strategies. We performed a resection of the affected omental segment, which enabled us to achieve complete recovery in both cases. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopy in unclear diagnostic situations permits the timely diagnosis of an omental infarction, and surgical minimally invasive intervention leads to a successful cure.

Reply to the Commentary on the article “Sepsis in children: federal guidelines (draft)” I.А. Savin

The authors of the Clinical Guidelines are grateful to Professor I.A. Savin for his comments and provide answers to the comments made regarding the appointment of antibacterial drugs and immunoglobulins for sepsis in children.

Treatment of a patient with COVID-19 and adverse premorbid background: A case report

BACKGROUND: In the presence of severe comorbid pathology, children get sick with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as severe as adults. CASE REPORT: This paper describes the treatment of a 17-year-old patient with severe bilateral pneumonia caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 that damage a large volume of the lung tissue (69% on the right, 87.1% on the left, and grade IV lung lesions according to computed tomography) with an unfavorable premorbid background (grade IV obesity with a body mass index of 54.5 kg/m2, Down syndrome, moderate mental retardation, and primary hypothyroidism). The child was admitted to the hospital on day 10 of illness in an extremely serious condition. On admission, she received artificial lung ventilation and then high-flow mask ventilation with an oxygen flow of 12 L/min. In addition to respiratory support, she received etiotropic (hydroxychloroquine), anticoagulant (enoxaparin), antibacterial, (ceftriaxone), and antihypertensive treatments. Levothyroxine sodium was administered for hypothyroidism. Permanent monitoring of the acidbase balance, general and biochemical blood tests, and coagulography were performed. Gradual positive dynamics of the respiratory status was observed, and oxygen flow decreased. The case was constantly consulted to a pulmonologist, endocrinologist, and cardiologist, who corrected antihypertensive therapy depending on blood pressure indicators. Oxygen support was given for 13 days. After receiving a double-negative PCR test for COVID-19, the patient was transferred to the pulmonology department, from which she was discharged in satisfactory condition for outpatient observation. CONCLUSION: Our patient with COVID-19, severe lung damage with a combination of comorbid pathologies, extremely unfavorable prognosis (grade IV obesity, Down syndrome, and hypothyroidism), who received active complex treatment in accordance with modern guidelines, recovered despite late admission to the hospital.

“Bowel Management” program for children with congenital malformations and neurogenic bowel after surgery

BACKGROUND: After the surgical treatment of children for anorectal malformations, spinal pathology, and Hirschsprungs disease, their quality of life is significantly reduced due to fecal incontinence. For patients with persistent defecation disorders, the Bowel Management program is offered. AIM: This study analyzes the Bowel Management program implemented in the clinic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective analysis of the program used in children after surgical correction of malformations was conducted. The program comprised the following components: lectures for patients/parents, hospitalization, irrigography with water-soluble contrast, teaching patients/parents about cleansing enemas, keeping a bowel movement diary, plain abdominal X-ray, changing the recipe for enema solution, monitoring the effectiveness, and correcting recommendations. RESULTS: A total of 66 children from 1.5 to 17 years old were treated. Three groups were identified: (I) anorectal malformations (n = 26), (II) spinal pathology (n = 30), and (III) Hirschsprungs disease (n = 10). The results were considered satisfactory if the bowel cleansing procedure was painless for the child and did not cause stress reactions; the parents were satisfied with the result of the prescribed program if after the enema a sufficient amount of stool was removed within 45 minutes, there were no episodes of defecation during the day. With the help of the Rome IV revision criteria, fecal incontinence was noted in all cases against the background of stool retention. In 11 (16.7%), there was no fecal incontinence even in cases of prolonged stool retention. A correlation was found between high lesions (in the lumbar spine) in spinal hernias with the absence of fecal incontinence with prolonged stool retention compared with the low sacral localization of the hernia. In group I, 91.7% had spinal cord fixation. In group II, 86.7% had it, and none were present in group III. The effectiveness of the program was 83.3%. CONCLUSION: The Bowel Management is easy to use and effective in 83% of patients. It can be recommended for the rehabilitation of children with defecation disorders, fecal incontinence after surgical correction of congenital malformations (anorectal malformations, spinal pathology and Hirschsprung's disease).

Systemic inflammatory response in infants with craniostenosis sedated with propofol

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the possible effect of intravenous anesthesia (sedation) with propofol on the levels of several cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-8, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factors-) and S100B protein in the blood plasma of children aged 1 year with craniostenosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients aged 112 months diagnosed with non-syndromic forms of craniosynostosis, who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain under propofol sedation, were classified according to ASA I-II class. Peripheral blood sampling was performed before and after the drug administration, followed by laboratory analysis. RESULTS: A significant increase was found in the serum level of IL-6 (p = 0.004) when intravenous sedation with propofol was used for 29 4.93 min. CONCLUSION: Short exposure of children aged 1 year with craniostenosis to hypnotic propofol during brain MRI significantly increased the level of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in the blood plasma.

To the 75th Anniversary of Vyacheslav V. Parshikov

This paper describes the professional activities and merits of the pediatric surgeon Vyacheslav V. Parshikov in celebration of his 75th anniversary.

Incomplete pentalogy of Cantrell: a case report and review

BACKGROUND: The pentalogy of Cantrell is a rare congenital malformation characterized by five component defects in the anterior abdominal wall, lower sternum, anterior diaphragm, and diaphragmatic pericardium and congenital heart disease. The occurrence of the five features is quite rare. The pentalogy of Cantrell is classified as complete, partial, and incomplete. Few studies have described the successful treatment of neonates with the pentalogy of Cantrell, with even fewer publications about an incomplete defect. CASE REPORT: We report the successful surgical treatment of a newborn boy with an incomplete pentalogy of Cantrell. In this patient, the diaphragmatic hernia was eliminated at the first stage, and a temporary container for umbilical cord hernia was made by suturing the silastic sac to the edges of the defect in the anterior abdominal wall for subsequent gradual immersion of the hernia contents into the abdominal cavity. These steps made it possible to reduce intra-abdominal and, accordingly, intrathoracic pressures, provide favorable conditions for the healing of the diaphragm, and thus stabilize the childs respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Subsequently, the cardiovascular system was examined under more favorable conditions and intracardiac defects were excluded. Moreover, the proposed technique made it possible to safely perform the second stage of surgical correction, i.e., radical plasty of the anterior abdominal wall on day 14 of life with full restoration of the normal anatomical and physiological relationships, by which time the diaphragm and mediastinum had taken their correct topographic position. The literature review provides data from 32 sources. CONCLUSION: The pentalogy of Cantrell is a severe congenital malformation with a high risk of poor outcomes. Reporting of all possible variants of the pentalogy of Cantrell (complete, partial, or incomplete), regardless of the outcome, is important for the accumulation of experience in treating such patients, which by focusing on the clinical situation and the combination of various defects in the pentalogy of Cantrell will improve the strategy and prognosis for this defect.

Ultrasound technologies in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of children with testicular torsion

AIM: This study improves the diagnosis of testicular inversion in children to select different treatment strategies by determining the effectiveness of conservative and surgical testicular detorsion criteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical data from 2010 to 2020 included 110 children with testicular torsion. In 64% of cases, the left testicle predominated. Testicular torsion occurred in 50% of children in the 12- to 14-year-old age group. The time from disease onset to seeking medical help ranged from 1.5 hours to 11 days. It was less than 6 hours in 41.8% of children, from 6 to 12 hours in 13.6% of boys, 12 to 24 hours in 11% of patients, and more than 24 hours in 33.6% of boys and adolescents. The protocol for the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of all children included various techniques for ultrasound examination of the scrotal organs. RESULTS: The analysis showed the absence of reliable criteria for detecting testicle torsion in the early periods (61%100%): spiral course of the spermatic vessels (63.9%), change in the position of the testicle (19.8%), increase in the volume of the testicle and appendage (98.3%), a change in testicle shape and the inability to withdraw its poles (47.5%), and a hydrocele (67.2%). The index of false-negative results of the ultrasound scan of the scrotal organs reaches 40%. Conservative navigation detorsion was performed in 39 (35.5%) boys and adolescents during the early disease stages. The ultrasound criteria for the effectiveness of conservative detorsion were established. The main criteria normalized blood flow in the testis (100%). Surgical treatment of testicular inversion was performed in 71 (64.5%) boys and adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Compliance with the protocol for diagnosing, treating, and rehabilitating children in different age groups with testicular torsion allowed us to determine adequate emergency treatment strategies and follow-up. An ultrasound differential diagnosis is performed with testicular hydatid torsion and inflammatory diseases of the scrotal organs. The informativeness of the ultrasound methods amounted to 60%.

Comparative evaluation of the results of conservative and surgical methods of treatment of children with destructive forms of pyelonephritis

BACKGROUND: The relevance of destructive pyelonephritis in pediatric practice is determined by frequency of various complications of the disease associated with a high risk of irreversible morphofunctional changes in parenchyma of affected kidney, the lack of tactical consensus in the professional community and regulatory documents regulating the procedure for diagnostic and therapeutic support of this contingent of patients. AIM: Substantiation of the tactics of effective treatment children with destructive pyelonephritis, based on the results of a multifactorial retrospective analysis of the course and outcomes of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The results of the analysis of medical documentation of 38 patients with destructive pyelonephritis aged 3204 months (median 93.5) who received inpatient treatment in 20152019 in three specialized clinics in Moscow are presented. RESULTS: More than half of the patients (28 children) in the acute period of the disease received conservative therapy, including infusion and antibacterial, the escalation of which was carried out with the preservation or increase of manifestations of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome, as well as negative dynamics according to ultrasound or CT data. In the group of patients (n = 10), indications for surgical treatment were formulated decapsulation of the kidney, opening of apostemas and abscessed foci, drainage of the paranephral space. During the examination in catamnesis, realized in 50%. It was found that in the majority (91%) of children treated conservatively, a statistically significant decrease in the volume of the kidney on the affected side was registered. These complications were not detected among the operated patients. CONCLUSION: The pharmacy of choice for starting antibacterial therapy should be inhibitor-protected beta-lactams, carbapenems, if the etiological significance of staphylococcus is suspected, it is advisable to connect linezolid. In case of laboratory signs of hypercoagulation, it is necessary to connect anticoagulants. Surgical tactics can minimize the risk of complications associated with the purulent-destructive process, contributing to regenerative processes in the kidney parenchyma. The objectification of the results of the catamnestic examination is due to the performance of nephroscintigraphy.