The risk of acute abdomen in neonates and infants is generally increased due to advanced maternal age and neonatal intensive care unit care development. Enterostomy is a safe procedure for acute abdomen in neonates and infants. However, there is no consensus for the optimal timing of enterostomy closure (EC). A few considerations should be reviewed for deciding the timing of stoma closure to obtain the best outcome. Distal loopography is commonly performed upon examination to ascertain the existence of a distal passage after EC, detect signs of disease-specific complications, and assess the need of surgery in addition to EC. Pathology review is also one important pre-closure consideration. When the incidence of a hypoganglionosis or an aganglionosis combined with acute abdomen is observed in neonates and infants, thorough examinations should be performed to conclusively determine whether there is no passage disturbance of the distal bowel. Refeeding not only provides information about chance to grow, electrolyte imbalance correction, and proximal and distal bowel size match, but also provides information about distal bowel passage when there is a doubtful distal loopography or pathology result. Early closure enables growth spurt with the correction of water/electrolyte imbalance. It potentially reduced medical costs, less discrepancy between proximal and distal bowel size. Some factors favoring a late stoma closure may be due to less postoperative complications, early recovery, shorter time of total parenteral nutrition after EC, and decreased length of hospitalization after the EC. Some studies have shown controversial results. In summary, a pre-closure evaluation is imperative to assure the safety of an EC. The optimal timing of an EC remains controversial. For this reason, individualized approach is needed after reviewing the general condition of each patient. Further prospective study on optimal timing of stoma closure including a randomized clinical trial is needed.

Traumatic injury is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children. This is a clinical review of pediatric blunt abdominal trauma. A retrospective analysis of the 112 children with blunt abdominal trauma aged 15 years or less treated at the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Chonbuk National University Hospital was performed. The analysis included age, sex, injury mechanism, number and site of the injured organ, management and outcomes. The average age of occurrence was 7.6 years, and the peak age was between 6 and 8 years. There was a male preponderance with a male to female ratio of 2.3:1. The most common cause of blunt abdominal trauma was traffic accidents (61.6%), principally involving pedestrians (79.7%). The accident prone times were between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM, the weekends (40.2%), and the winter respectively. Thirthy-five patients (31.2%) had multiple intra-abdominal organ injuries and the most common injured organ was the liver. Seventy-four cases (66.1%) were managed non-operatively and eleven cases (9.8%) expired. Of the patients who were treated surgically or were to be operated on one patient died before surgery, the remainder died during or after surgery. Risk factors such as number of injured organ, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and trauma scores by Glasgow coma scale (GCS), Pediatric trauma score (PTS), revised trauma score (RTS), injury severe score (ISS), TRISS were significantly correlated with mortality rate.

Catheter related and perianal problems are common surgical complications encountered during the treatment of pediatric malignancies. However acute surgical abdominal emergencies are rare. The aim of this study is to review acute surgical abdominal complications that occur during the treatment of childhood malignancies. Out of a total of 1,222 patients who were newly diagnosed with malignant disease, between January 2003 and May 2008, there were 10 patients who required surgery because of acute abdominal emergencies. Their medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Hematologic malignancies were present in 7 patients (4 leukemia, 2 lymphoma, 1 Langerhans cell histiocytosis) and solid tumors in 3 patients (1 adrenocortical carcinoma, 1 desmoplastic small round cell tumor, 1 rhabdomyosarcoma). Seven patients had intestinal obstruction, two had gastrointestinal perforation and one, typhlitis. Intestinal obstructions were treated with resection of the involved segment with (N=2) or without (N=3) enterostomy. Two patients had enterostomy alone when resection could not be performed. Intestinal perforation was treated with primary repair. Typhlitis of the ascending colon was treated with ileostomy. Right hemicolectomy was necessary the next day because of the rapidly progressing sepsis. Three patients are now alive on chemotherapy and one patient was lost to followed-up. Among six patients who died, five died of their original disease progression and one of uncontrolled sepsis after intestinal perforation. Although rare, acute surgical abdominal complications can occur in childhood malignancies. Rapid and accurate diagnosis and appropriate operation are required for effective treatment of the complications.

Trauma is one of the leading causes of death in children. Abdominal trauma is about 10% of all pediatric trauma. This study describes the sex and age distribution, injury mechanism, site of intraabdominal injury, management and mortality of children aged 16 years or less who suffered abdominal trauma. The hospital records of 63 patients treated for abdominal injury between March 1997 and February 2007 at the department of surgery, Inje University Pusan Paik Hospital, were analyzed retrospectively. The peak age of incidence was between 2 and 10 years (78%) and this report showed male predominance(2.7:1). The most common mechanism of blunt abdominal trauma was pedestrian traffic accident (49%). The most common injured organ was liver. More than Grade IV injury of liver and spleen comprised of 4(12%) and 5(24%), respectively. Fourteen cases (22%) had multiple organ injuries. Forty nine cases (78%) were managed nonoperatively. Three patients (4.8%) died, who had Grade IV liver injury, Grade IV spleen injury, and liver and spleen injury with combined inferior vena cava injury, respectively. All of the three mortality cases had operative management. In conclusion, the liver or spleen injury which was more than Grade 4 might lead to mortality in spite of operation, although many cases could be improved by nonoperative management.

Abdominal cystic lymphangiomas arising from the mesentery, omentum and retroperitoneum are rare and occasionally confused with other cause of acute abdomen. Sixteen children who underwent surgery for abdominal cystic lymphangioma between 1984 and 2005 at the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center were evaluated retrospectively. There were 9 boys and 7 girls. Age ranged from 12 days to 13 years (mean age : 4.7years). The cysts were located in the omentum (4 cases),mesentery (9 cases : jejunum : 3, colon : 6). retroperitoneum (2 cases) and pelvic cavity (one case). The cyst content was hemorrhagic (8 cases), serous (5 cases), and inflammatory (2 cases), and chyle (one). Prenatal diagnosis was made in 3. The clinical features were variable, but abdominal pain, mass, and abdominal distention in order. There were 3 emergency operations in patients with complicated cyst, who were suspected of having panperitonitis and volvulus preoperatively. Complete excision was accomplished in all cases. There was one mortalityin a newborn with E.coli sepsis. Intestinal obstruction developed in 2 cases in long-term follow-up. No recurrence was observed. Although intraabdominal lymphangioma arising from mesentery, omentum and retroperitoneum are rare, it should be considered as a possible cause of acute abdomen.

The management of twenty-two cllildren with blunt abdominal trauma was analyzed. Nineteen cases had intraabciominal injuries; involving the spleen in 7 cases, the liver in 5, the pancreas in one and the bladder in one. There were five case multiple intraabdominal organ injuries. Seventeen out of 19 patients were treated non-operatively, but one was operated upon later because of delayed bleeding. Thirteen patients required transfusion in the non operated group, the mean values of the Pediatric Trauma Score (PTS) was 11.3. The mean lowest hemoglobulin(LHb) was 9.1 g/dL. The mean value of three cases with extraabdominal injuries were 9.0 and 8.3 g/dL respectively. The average amount of tranfusion was 17.3 ml/kg. In the operated group, 2 cases were transfused an average of 139.8 ml/kg and their mean PTS was 5 and LHb was 6.6 g/dL. In one out of 16 non-operated cases, intrahepatic hematoma developed and but resolved conservatively. However, two out of 3 operated cases suffer complications such as an intubation granuloma and an intraabdominal abscess with wound dehescence. In conclusion, non-operative managenent in child with blunt abdominal trauma was safe in Grade I and II solid organ injuries. The decision for operation should be based on the hemodynamic stability after initial resuscitation including transfusion.

Abdominal epilepsy is accepted as unusual cause of abdominal pain in children and young adolescents. Although its abdominal symptoms may be similar to those of the irritable bowel syndrome, it may be distinguished from the latter condition by the presence of the altered consciousness during some of attacks, EEG abnormalities, and a good response to anticonvulsant medication. The diagnosis of abdominal epilepsy came into vogue in the 1950s and 1960s as an explanation for childhood abdominal complaints. More recently, it has been recognized that isolated vomiting without loss of consciousness or other more common paroxysmal symtoms is rarely attributable to abdominal epilepsy.

We report 4 cases of abdominal epilepsy, whose ages ranged from 8 to 11 years, with paroxysmal abdominal pain or vomitng consistent with a diagnosis of abdominal epilepsy.