Colonic atresia (CA) is the rare cause of intestinal obstruction, and diagnosis of CA is difficult. But only few research has been performed, so little information has been available. The purposes of this study was to analyze the clinical findings of CA so that help physicians make decision properly. Children with CA who were treated at the division of pediatric surgery at Asan Medical Center in the period from January 1989 to December 2011 were evaluated retrospectively. A total of 6 children were treated with CA. These accounted for 2.7% of all gastrointestinal atresias managed in Asan Medical Center. Only one child was premature and low birth weight, the others were fullterm neonates and showed normal birth weight. Vomiting and abdominal distension were common symptoms and simple X-ray and barium study were used for diagnose of CA. But only 66.7% of the babies were diagnosed as CA pre-operatively. And 2 children out of 6 underwent re-operation due to missed CA at the time of the first operation. In aspect of types of atresia, the type IIIa were two, type IV were two, type I was one case, and one child showed rectal stenosis due to rectal web. Various operations were done according to individual findings and associated diseases. The 50% (n=3) of children underwent the primary anastomosis and the others (n=3) underwent colostomy first and staged operation later for missed CA or associated disease. All of them were recovered any significant complications. Therefore, the prognosis of CA is satisfactory if diagnosis and surgical management could be made properly. But because of the low incidence of CA, delay of diagnosis and treatment may occur. To prevent delay of diagnosis, we suggest prompt evaluation of doubtful infant and careful inspection of distal patency of bowel including whole colon and rectum when operating patients with intestinal atresia at any level.

Thyroid carcinoma is relatively rare in children. Eight cases of thyroid carcinoma were among 18 patients operated upon for thyroid tumors at Pediatric Surgery, Asan Medical Center in 11 years' period between 1989 and 2000. Five patients were boys and three were girls. The age distribution ranged from 10 to 14 years with a median age of 11.6 years. We studied clinical presentations, diagnostic workup, pathology, treatment, and follow-up (recurrence, mortality, and survival). All patients presented with anterior neck mass but one with multiple cervical lymph nodes enlargement. Familial history of thyroid cancer was seen in one case. All patients had a cold nodule by I-131 thyroid scan. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy was performed in all patients. The right lobe was involved in four patients and the left lobe in two. Two had both lobes involvement. Pathologically, six cases were papillary carcinoma, one was follicular carcinoma, and one insular carcinoma. Four patients underwent unilateral lobectomy and isthmectomy. Total thyroidectomy was performed in three patients. The insular carcinoma case was preoperatively diagnosed as follicular neoplasm by FNA. After confirmation of the pathology by initial right thyroid lobectomy, total thyroidectomy was subsequently done. Cervical lymph node metastases were presented in three cases (37.5%), and lung metastasis in two cases (25%). Three patients received postoperative 1-131 ablation. After a median follow-up of 53 months, all patients were alive without evidence of recurrence. In conclusion, thyroid carcinoma in children is frequently associated with lymph nodes involvement and distant metastasis, however, the prognosis is relatively good.

One case of primary omental torsion in a 10 year-old, 43 kg boy is presented. He presented with a history of acute, continuous pain in the upper abdomen, aggravated by changes of position. Physical examination of his abdomen showed board-like rigidity, tenderness and rebound tenderness over the entire abdomen. The preoperative diagnosis was perforated peptic ulcer. Exploratory laparatomy revealed torsion of the greater omentum. The tor sed omentum was excised and the outcome was good. Omental torsion is a rare surgical condition and is difficult to diagnose prior to operation. Therefore, in case of negative exploration for acute abdomen, the omentum should be included among the organs examined. In addition, careful search for an inflammatory focus should be made, because secondary omental torsion with intraabdominal sepsis is much more common than primary torsion.

Transmesenteric hernia, a type of internal hernias, is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction. This intraperitoneal hernia has no sac and is formed by protrusion of a loop of bowel through an aperture in the mesentery. Incarceration leads to intestinal obstruction and subsequently, strangulation and gangrene of varing lengths of intestine. This is a case report of 4-year-old girl with transmesenteric herniation of the terminal ileum through a defect in its own mesentery. Strangulation of the affected bowel necessitates resection and primary anastomosis with repair of mesenteric defect. The postoperative course was uneventful. Acute intestinal obstruction in the absence of an external hernia and with no history of a previous surgical procedure suggests the possibility of an internal hernia, especially if the patient has a history of chronic intermittent abdominal distress.

Congenital duplication of the gallbladder, including true duplication and septated gallbladder, is an uncommon but potentially complicated malformation. It presents biliary colic associated with acute or chronic cholecystitis. It can be diagnosed preoperatively by various imaging tools such as real-time ultrasonography, biliary scintigraphy, oral cholecystography, or endoscopic retrograde cholangiography. It can be safely managed by either laparoscopic or open procedures. This report describes a 6-year-old girl with true duplication of gallbladder diagnosed preoperatively by real-time ultrasonography and treated by open cholecystectomy.