Background/Aims: Extrahepatic biliary atresia (EHBA) is the most important cause of neonatal cholestasis. The validity of different diagnostic methods in the diagnosis of EHBA in developed countries has been presented elsewhere, but data from developing countries with low national incomes are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the relative accuracy and roles of abdominal ultrasonography, duodenal tube test (DTT), and liver biopsy in the diagnosis of EHBA in Serbia. Materials and Methods: The study included 156 infants with cholestasis admitted at the Mother and Child Health Care Institute. Data were collected according to the medical records observation technique. Results: Extrahepatic biliary atresia was diagnosed in 72 of 156 infants with cholestasis. The frequency was insignificantly higher in females than in males (1.25:1). Most patients were diagnosed prior to 60 days of life (median 58, range 30-67). In a group of 156 infants with cholestasis, 109 had ultrasound, liver biopsy, duodenal tube test, and intraoperative cholangiography done. Liver biopsy confirmed surgical disease in 71/109 patients and denied it in 38/109 patients (sensitivity-Sn 98%, specificity-Sp 100%, diagnostic efficiency of test-DgEf 99.08%). Duodenal tube test had Sn 97%, Sp 72%, and DgEf 88.99%, and the ultrasound findings showed Sn 78%, Sp 81%, and DgEf 77.92%. Five-year survival rate after Kasai operation was 76%. Conclusion: A well-coordinated multidisciplinary approach is required in the assessment of suspected cases of biliary atresia. Histology examination of biopsy specimens is an integral part of the diagnostic algorithm and, therefore, plays a pivotal role in the diagnostic evaluation of this disease.
Background Diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA) and decisions about its treatment remain among the most common dilemmas of pediatric surgical teams. Monitoring of immune response may be of importance for this purpose. Our aim was to measure and analyze serum and peritoneal fluid cytokines, in children who had undergone surgery for suspected AA. Methods Prospective investigation of serum and peritoneal fluid cytokine values was performed in 127 consecutive patients. According to the pathohistological findings, patients were divided into three groups: normal/early, uncomplicated and complicated AA. Determination of cytokine concentrations for 20 different cytokines was done using a commercial flow cytometry kit: Human Inflammation 20 plex BMS 819. Results Statistically significant differences in serum cytokine values between pathohistological groups were found for IP-10, MIP-1α and IL-10. Preoperative cut-off values of IP-10, MIP-1α and IL-10 between groups were obtained using ROC curve analysis. Positive correlations between serum and peritoneal concentrations were recorded for most of the analyzed cytokines. Conclusion IP-10, MIP-1α and IL-10 showed potential in assessment of AA in children. Confirmatory studies with a larger number of patients are required to prove reliability of these biomarkers.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate and identify prenatal predictors of perinatal outcomes of gastroschisis. Antenatal data included extra-abdominal bowel dilatation (EABD) and intra-abdominal bowel dilatation (IABD). Perinatal data included gestational age, sex, and birth weight. Surgical data included presence of intestinal atresia, necrosis, perforation, strictures, and method of closure. Outcome data included duration of mechanical ventilation and total parenteral nutrition, pseudoobstruction, sepsis, reoperations, length of hospital stay, and mortality rates. Results were analyzed in 65 patients. EABD was documented in 55 patients with no significant difference between simple and complex gastroschisis group. In 27 patients (in 32% of simple and 73% of complex cases), IABD persisted until the last ultrasound scan. Simple gastroschisis group had a shorter hospital stay, shorter ventilation support duration, less bowel pseudoobstruction, less need for reoperation, and received less parenteral nutrition. The most frequent extraintestinal complication was sepsis. The only factor that has been shown to predict poorer outcomes of gastroschisis is the presence of complex gastroschisis. Current available evidence suggests that antenatal bowel dilatation is not associated with increased risk of adverse perinatal outcome in infants with gastroschisis. Also, the absence of bowel dilatation cannot fully exclude complex patients.
Background/Aim. Acute appendicitis (AA) is the most frequent emergency and appendectomy is the most frequent abdominal operation in the pediatric surgery. Diagnosis of AA in children is more difficult due to a lack of cooperation and poor clinical history data, leading to significant number of misdiagnostic cases. Our aim was to explore whether neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) may be useful in diagnosis and follow-up of AA in children. Methods. Prospective investigation of NLR values in 129 consecutive patients admitted to the Mother and Child Healthcare Institute of Serbia and referred for surgery due to AA was performed. According to the pathohistological findings, patients were divided into 3 groups: normal/early, uncomplicated (phlegmonous) and complicated (gangrenous or/and perforated) AA. Laboratory analysis was done preoperativly and on the 1st and the 3rd postoperative days. Results. Statistically significant differences of NLR values were found in the different time points in total of patients and per groups. Some statistically significant differences of NLR values among histopathological groups were recorded. Investigations of correlation of NLR and other laboratory and clinical parameters showed strong positive correlation between NLR and C-reactive protein postoperatively and between NLR and Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS) preoperatively. Strong negative correlation with preoperative symptoms duration (PSD) were also present. Optimal cutoff NLR value between negative and positive appendectomies was 6.14. Conclusion. NLR provides well monitoring of progression of AA in children and, its cutoff values may help in distinguishing the phases of AA. Because of that, NLR should be used in diagnosis of AA in children.
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