32例儿童急性胰腺炎诊治分析

目的探讨儿童急性胰腺炎的发病因素和诊治方法。方法回顾性分析2010年1月至2014年3月我们治疗的32例急性胰腺炎患儿临床资料。结果32例患儿中,胆源性胰腺炎12例(37.5%),外伤性胰腺炎8例(25%),特发性胰腺炎12例(37.5%)。急性轻型胰腺炎24例(75%),急性重症胰腺炎8例(25%)。26例通过非手术治疗治愈。4例合并胆总管囊肿患儿行胆道外引流术后治愈。1例胆总管囊肿合并胰腺炎患儿行胆道外引流术后,胰腺炎仍反复发作,行内镜下乳头括约肌切开(Endoscopic sphincteropapillotomy,EST)和鼻胆管引流(Endoscopic nosal biliary drainage,ENBD)后治愈。1例合并胰腺脓肿患儿行B超引导下行经皮穿刺置管引流后治愈。结论儿童急性胰腺炎以胆源性胰腺炎、外伤性胰腺炎为主,大部分患儿可通过非手术治疗治愈,复发性胰腺炎和合并局部并发症的胰腺炎可考虑内镜治疗和外0手术干预。     

先天性胆总管囊肿合并胆道穿孔的外科治疗

目的总结胆总管囊肿合并胆道穿孔的外科治疗经验及疗效。方法回顾性分析2001年6月～2006年1月我院收治的8例胆总管囊肿合并胆道穿孔患儿的病历资料。结果10例均痊愈出院,术后随访3个月～2年,疗效满意,无明显并发症。结论先天性胆总管囊肿合并胆道穿孔容易误诊,应根据患儿手术耐受情况,选择胆道引流术或Ⅰ期根治术。     

小儿胆总管囊肿自发性穿孔初次手术方式探讨

目的探讨先天性胆总管囊肿自发性穿孔的诊断方法和初次手术方式。方法收集先天性胆总管囊肿并穿孔患儿11例。男4例,女7例;年龄6个月～5岁;病程平均4d。患儿均有突发性腹胀、腹痛、哭闹不安和发热,7例出现黄疸、5例伴呕吐。查体均有明显腹膜炎体征。8例经B超和(或)CT检查证实有胆总管囊肿。病例均行腹腔穿刺,抽到含胆汁的腹水。初次手术方法有3种:2例Ⅰ期行胆总管囊肿切除、肝总管空肠Roux-Y吻合术,3例行胆总管囊肿T管外引流术,6例行胆囊造瘘术。9例Ⅰ期行外引流手术的患儿3～6个月再次手术完成胆道重建(胆总管囊肿切除、肝总管空肠Roux-Y吻合术)。结果病例均取得满意的疗效,未出现吻合口瘘、胆道感染、胆道梗阻等严重并发症。本组5例发现穿孔位于胆总管胆囊管交界处,6例未发现穿孔灶。在Ⅱ期手术中发现,Ⅰ期行胆总管T管引流者胆总管周围黏连严重、解剖结构混乱,手术难度大、出血多(100～200mL)、耗时长(3.5～5.0h)。而Ⅰ期行胆囊造瘘术的患儿,未发现有因胆囊管梗阻而致胆汁引流不畅者,且Ⅱ期手术时胆总管周围结构较清晰,手术操作相对容易、出血少(30～50mL)、耗时短(2.5～3.0h)。结论初次手术行胆囊造瘘术对于胆总管囊肿自发穿孔后腹腔炎性反应水肿明显、黏连重、状态差的患儿是一种更合理的术式选择。     

小儿胆总管囊肿A发性穿孔初次手术方式探讨

目的探讨先天性胆总管囊肿自发性穿孔的诊断方法和初次手术方式。方法收集先天性胆总管囊肿并穿孔患儿11例。男4例，女7例；年龄6个月～5岁；病程平均4d。患儿均有突发性腹胀、腹痛、哭闹不安和发热，7例出现黄疸、5例伴呕吐。查体均有明显腹膜炎体征。8例经B超和（或）CT检查证实有胆总管囊肿。病例均行腹腔穿刺，抽到含胆汁的腹水。初次手术方法有3种：2例Ⅰ期行胆总管囊肿切除、肝总管空肠Roux—Y吻合术，3例行胆总管囊肿T管外引流术，6例行胆囊造瘘术。9例Ⅰ期行外引流手术的患儿3～6个月再次手术完成胆道重建（胆总管囊肿切除、肝总管空肠Roux—Y吻合术）。结果病例均取得满意的疗效，未出现吻合口瘘、胆道感染、胆道梗阻等严重并发症。本组5例发现穿孔位于胆总管胆囊管交界处，6例未发现穿孔灶。在Ⅱ期手术中发现，Ⅰ期行胆总管T管引流者胆总管周围黏连严重、解剖结构混乱，手术难度大、出血多（100～200mL）、耗时长（3．5～5．0h）。而Ⅰ期行胆囊造瘘术的患儿，未发现有因胆囊管梗阻而致胆汁引流不畅者，且Ⅱ期手术时胆总管周围结构较清晰，手术操作相对容易、出血少（30～50mL）、耗时短（2．5～3．0h）。结论初次手术行胆囊造瘘术对于胆总管囊肿自发穿孔后腹腔炎性反应水肿明显、黏连重、状态差的患儿是一种更合理的术式选择。     

婴儿胆道自发性穿孔9例临床分析

目的 探讨婴儿胆道自发性穿孔的诊断与治疗。方法 对1996年8月～2002年5月我院收治的9例婴儿胆道自发性穿孔进行回顾性分析。结果 除2例未找到穿孔部位单行腹腔引流外，其余病人均行胆总管引流术和腹腔引流术；对胆总管远端狭窄、胆总管远端闭锁、胆总管囊肿3个月后Ⅱ期手术。痊愈8例，1例因全身情况恶化、中毒性休克死亡。结论 早期行胆道和腹腔引流手术，控制感染，改善全身情况是提高治愈率的关键。     

小儿胆道急症腹腔镜下经皮胆囊造瘘13例临床分析

目的探讨小儿胆道急症的临床特点,总结腹腔镜下经皮胆囊造瘘在小儿胆道急症中的应用价值。方法回顾性分析2006年6月至2011年6月作者收治的13例胆道急症患儿临床资料,其中自发性胆道穿孔5例,胆总管囊肿并发急性胆管炎5例,结石或蛔虫梗阻并发急性胆管炎3例。患儿均在腹腔镜下行经皮胆囊造瘘。结果手术均成功实施,术后临床症状缓解,无胆道出血和胆瘘发生。自发性胆道穿孔5例,随访3个月至1年,胆道无异常发现,1例有胆总管扩张改变,目前仍在随访中,均未行二期手术。胆总管囊肿并发急性胆囊炎5例,4例在胆囊造瘘术1～3个月后行胆总管囊肿根治术,1例胆总管扩张回缩明显,目前仍在随访中。结石或蛔虫致胆道梗阻3例,术后13超复查,2例未见明显结石或蛔虫影像,胆道未见明显扩张。1例胆囊内仍有较大结石存在,于胆囊造瘘术后3个月行胆囊切除术。结论小儿胆道急症多在先天性胆道疾病的基础上并发。腹腔镜下经皮胆囊造瘘术治疗小儿胆道急症,可有效缓解胆道梗阻,术后根据情况行二期胆道处理,部分患儿甚至可以免除二期手术,是治疗小儿胆道急症的有效方法。     

经腹腔镜手术治疗Ⅰ、Ⅱ型胆道闭锁

目的 对经腹腔镜手术治疗Ⅰ型及Ⅱ型胆道闭锁的效果进行探讨.方法 自2003年3月至2007年7月,共收治患Ⅰ型及Ⅱ型胆道闭锁并胆管囊性扩张的患儿10例,其中Ⅰ型8例,Ⅱ型2例;男4例,女6例;年龄23～160 d,平均53.8 d.患儿均有黄疸、陶土样便等症状;伴有总胆红素、转氨酶明显升高;术前经B超等影像学检查证实有肝门部囊性扩张的胆管存在,平均直径1.5 cm(1.0～1.8 cm);10例经术中证实为Ⅰ、Ⅱ型胆道闭锁伴有肝外胆道囊性扩张.本组10例患儿行经腹腔镜扩张的胆管底部切除胆管空肠Roux-en-Y吻合术.术后平均随访26个月(4～51个月).结果 本组10例患儿行经腹腔镜手术全部成功,无中转开腹.手术时间平均为3.0 h(2.4～3.2 h),术中出血量5～10ml.术后胃肠平均通气时间为18 h(16～28 h),进食时间平均20 h(16～30 h);平均术后3 d(2～4 d)排黄色大便;腹腔引流放置时间平均58 h(48～72 h),平均术后10 d(7～16 d)黄疸减轻,6例患儿术后14 d总胆红素直接胆红素降至正常水平,3例患儿3个月降至正常水平,1例手术年龄5.5个月患儿虽获良好胆汁引流,胆红素水平有所降低,但因肝硬化严重,后来仍维持高水平,胆汁引流后肝功能改善不佳,术后28 d死于肝功能衰竭.转氨酶术后不同程度的下降.术后平均住院时间6.8 d(5～9 d).术后随访4～51个月,1例患儿于术后4周发生胆管炎,经抗炎后痊愈.其余患儿肝功能各项指标均正常,无胆管炎、吻合口狭窄、粘连肠梗阻等术后并发症.结论 经腹腔镜囊性扩张的胆管底部切除胆管空肠吻合术治疗Ⅰ、Ⅱ型胆道闭锁是一种安全有效、可靠的方法.     

重视腹腔镜技术治疗复合型胆管囊肿手术规划与术中处理

先天性胆管囊肿是一种胆总管单独或联合肝内胆管扩张的结构发育畸形,多伴有胆胰管合流异常,最常表现为胆总管囊状或梭形扩张,累及肝内胆管囊状扩张或副肝管畸形则被称为复合型胆管囊肿。随着微创技术的进步,腹腔镜胆总管囊肿切除、胆道重建手术在国内广泛开展,同时也开始应用到复合型胆管囊肿肝门胆管畸形的治疗中,但如果术中处理不当,容易发生血管误伤、胆肠吻合引流不畅等情况,继而导致反复胆管炎发作、肝内胆管结石等并发症,应予以重视。     

Kasai术后肝内胆管囊性扩张的诊治与预后

目的 总结胆管闭锁术后肝内胆管囊性扩张的诊治经验,分析其对患儿预后的影响.方法 1998年6月至2008年3月,对胆管闭锁行葛西手术的患儿进行追踪随访.通过超声检查,发现8例患儿存在肝内胆管扩张.其中3例再行MRI检查,6例再行CT平扫加增强检杳以明确诊断.此8例患儿术后均有不同程度胆管炎症状.5例行PTCD显示肝内胆管囊性扩张.3例患儿行囊肿与空肠胆支再吻合术,2例患儿仪行PTCD置管引流,2例患儿暂未予任何处理.结果 3例经手术治疗的患儿,术后黄疸消退或减轻.仅行PTCD的患儿肝内胆管扩张长期存在.结论 对反复发作的胆管炎应定期行超声检查,尽早发现肝内囊肿;对肝内胆管囊性扩张,无论其影像学分型如何,应根据其具体临床表现进行相应的积极治疗;PTCD无法长期放置,仅是暂时性的治疗,但对手术时寻找囊肿有指示作用,使手术时囊肿的定位相对容易;囊肿的大小、位置与门静脉的关系,压迫的时间、治疗是否及时有效都可影响患儿的预后.     

胆道闭锁患儿来源原代胆管类器官体的初步研究

目的:探究原代胆管细胞培养胆道闭锁患儿胆囊来源的胆管类器官体进行实验研究的可行性。方法:选取2017年9月至2018年3月期间在复旦大学附属儿科医院4例Ⅲ型胆道闭锁患儿行Kasai手术及4例胆总管囊肿患儿行胆总管囊肿切除术获得的部分胆囊胆管细胞,采用三维原代胆管细胞培养方法培养胆道闭锁患儿胆囊来源的胆管细胞(实验组)和...     

Endoscopic biliary drainage management for children with serious cholangitis caused by congenital biliary dilatation

Congenital biliary dilatation (CBD) is usually associated with complications such as recurrent cholangitis, manifested as abdominal pain, vomiting, and jaundice. If cholangitis cannot be controlled by conservative treatment, a good therapeutic effect can be obtained through percutaneous biliary drainage or open T-tube drainage. We aimed to evaluate our experiences in biliary drainage through endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in children with cholangitis caused by CBD. From January 2014 to December 2017, 167 children with CBD were treated in our hospital. 17 patients (10.18%) with serious cholangitis caused by CBD underwent ERCP. There were 4 males and 13 females with an age range of 10–120 months (average 56.4 months). Placement of a biliary stent was attempted for biliary drainage through endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Of the 17 patients studied, 13 children had jaundice and 15 had elevated aminotransferases. ERCP showed CBD in all patients and a common biliopancreatic duct in 12 of 17 patients (70.6%). Five patients underwent nasobiliary drainage and 12 patients underwent biliary drainage through double pigtail tubes. All patients achieved successful biliary drainage. Postoperative pancreatitis occurred in one patient. Biochemical indicators decreased significantly in 12 patients (70.6%) on the second postoperative day. The average length of hospital stay after surgery was 4.5 (range 3–7) days. No major complications related to ERCP were observed and all children had a good prognosis so far. Endoscopic biliary drainage is a safe, simple, and reliable technique. It can be used to resolve CBD-associated cholangitis, evaluate the biliary tract and pancreatobiliary duct junction, and guide pediatric surgeons to choose the right time and the correct procedure for CBD.     

Aplasia of the dorsal pancreas and choledochal cyst

The authors describe a rare case of choledochal cyst and aplasia of the dorsal pancreas complicated with chronic pancreatitis. A 9-year-old boy presented with obstructive jaundice. After biliary drainage using pericutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) technique, the patient underwent choledochal cyst excision with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. The association of choledochal cyst and aplasia of the dorsal pancreas with chronic pancreatitis has never been reported previously.     

Choledochal cysts: lessons from a 20 year experience

Cystic dilatation of the biliary tree is a rare congenital anomaly. To determine mode of presentation, diagnostic pitfalls, and long term outcome after surgery, 78 children (57 girls, 21 boys) with choledochal cyst treated between 1974 and 1994 were reviewed. Anatomical types were: Ic (n = 44), If (n = 28), IVa (n = 4), and V (n = 2); a common pancreaticobiliary channel was identified in 76% patients. Age at presentation ranged from 0-16 (median 2.2) years, six patients being diagnosed by prenatal ultrasonography. Of the 72 patients diagnosed postnatally, 50 (69%) presented with jaundice, associated with abdominal pain in 25 or a palpable mass in three, 13 (18%) presented with pain alone, and two (3%) with a palpable mass. The classic triad of jaundice, pain, and a right hypochondrial mass was present in only four (6%). Four children presented acutely after spontaneous perforation of a choledochal cyst, two presented with ascites and one cyst was discovered incidentally. Plasma and/or biliary amylase values were raised in 30 of 31 patients investigated for abdominal pain; seven had evidence of pancreatitis at operation. In 35 of 67 (52%) patients referred without previous surgery, symptoms had been present for more than one month, and in 14 of them for more than one year, before diagnosis. Delayed referral was due to misdiagnosis as hepatitis (n = 12), incomplete investigation of abdominal pain (n = 6), and failure to note the significance of ultrasonographic findings (n = 10). Two patients referred late died from liver failure. Of the 76 patients with type I or IV cysts, 59 underwent radical cyst excision and hepaticojejunostomy as a primary procedure and 10 as a secondary operation after previously unsuccessful surgery. Sixteen patients have been lost to follow up but most of the remainder are well after a mean period of 4.1 (0.1-13) years. Choledochal cysts are often misdiagnosed, but prognosis is excellent if radical excision is performed.     

Practical concerns about the diagnosis of Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

Cystic dilatation of the biliary tree is a rare congenital anomaly. To determine mode of presentation, diagnostic pitfalls, and long term outcome after surgery, 78 children (57 girls, 21 boys) with choledochal cyst treated between 1974 and 1994 were reviewed. Anatomical types were: Ic (n = 44), If (n = 28), IVa (n = 4), and V (n = 2); a common pancreaticobiliary channel was identified in 76% patients. Age at presentation ranged from 0-16 (median 2.2) years, six patients being diagnosed by prenatal ultrasonography. Of the 72 patients diagnosed postnatally, 50 (69%) presented with jaundice, associated with abdominal pain in 25 or a palpable mass in three, 13 (18%) presented with pain alone, and two (3%) with a palpable mass. The classic triad of jaundice, pain, and a right hypochondrial mass was present in only four (6%). Four children presented acutely after spontaneous perforation of a choledochal cyst, two presented with ascites and one cyst was discovered incidentally. Plasma and/or biliary amylase values were raised in 30 of 31 patients investigated for abdominal pain; seven had evidence of pancreatitis at operation. In 35 of 67 (52%) patients referred without previous surgery, symptoms had been present for more than one month, and in 14 of them for more than one year, before diagnosis. Delayed referral was due to misdiagnosis as hepatitis (n = 12), incomplete investigation of abdominal pain (n = 6), and failure to note the significance of ultrasonographic findings (n = 10). Two patients referred late died from liver failure. Of the 76 patients with type I or IV cysts, 59 underwent radical cyst excision and hepaticojejunostomy as a primary procedure and 10 as a secondary operation after previously unsuccessful surgery. Sixteen patients have been lost to follow up but most of the remainder are well after a mean period of 4.1 (0.1-13) years. Choledochal cysts are often misdiagnosed, but prognosis is excellent if radical excision is performed.     

Percutaneous management of tumoral biliary obstruction in children

Background There is limited experience of percutaneous biliary interventions in children although they are safe and effective procedures. Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous management of tumoral biliary obstruction in children. Materials and methods Percutaneous biliary interventions were performed in eight children (six boys, two girls) with a mean age of 10.5 years (range 4–17 years). The interventions included percutaneous biliary drainage (five patients), percutaneous biliary drainage and placement of a self-expanding metallic stent (two patients), and percutaneous cholecystostomy (one patient). All patients had signs of obstructive jaundice and two had cholangitis. Results All procedures were successful. No procedure-related mortality was observed. Bilirubin levels returned to normal in four of the eight patients. Findings of cholangitis resolved in the two affected patients after the procedure and antibiotic treatment. Two patients underwent surgery after percutaneous biliary drainage procedures. A self-expanding metallic stent was placed in two patients with malignancy and the stents remained patent until death. Conclusion Percutaneous biliary interventions can be performed safely for the management of tumoral biliary obstruction in children.     

Impact of prenatal diagnosis on choledochal cysts and the benefits of early excision

Aim:   To evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with prenatally diagnosed choledochal cysts compared with those diagnosed after birth and the optimal timing of definitive treatment.
Methods:   Retrospective review of all patients who underwent primary choledochal cyst excision and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy from 1996 to 2006 at a single institution.
Results:   A total of 45 patients were included. Ten (22.2%) of the patients had prior prenatal diagnosis. The mean age at operation for this group was 4.4 months and mean follow up was 55.9 months. There was no operative complication or late morbidity. For the post-natal diagnosis group, the mean age at operation was 5.7 years ( P  < 0.000) and mean follow up period was 69 months. The most common presentation in this group was abdominal pain (31.4%), followed by pancreatitis (28.6%) and symptoms of cholestasis (25.7%). Early post-operative morbidities occurred in two (5.7%) patients. On long-term follow up, two (5.7%) further patients in the post-natal group developed complications.
Conclusion:   Prenatal diagnosis of choledochal cysts results in earlier definitive surgery. More adverse complications were seen in those who had surgery at an older age. We therefore recommend early excision of choledochal cysts.     

Diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP in the pediatric age group

The role and value of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the pediatric age group is not well established, because pancreatic and biliary diseases are less common in children. This however is not the case in areas like the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia where sickle cell disease (SCD) and other hemoglobinopathies are common, with increased frequency of cholelithiasis and choledocholithiasis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the indications, findings, safety and therapies of ERCP in children. One hundred and twenty five children had diagnostic and/or therapeutic ERCP as part of their management at our hospital. Their medical records were reviewed for: age at diagnosis, sex, Hb electrophoresis, indication for ERCP, findings, therapy and complications. There were 77 males and 48 females. Their age at presentation ranged from 5–18 year (mean 13.25 year). The majority of them had sickle cell disease (77.6%). The indications for ERCP were: obstructive jaundice (67.2%), recurrent biliary colic with or without jaundice (10.4%), acute and chronic pancreatitis (7.2%), postoperative bile leak (2.4%), cholangitis with obstructive jaundice (2.4%), hepatitis of unknown etiology (3.2%), cirrhosis of unknown etiology (4%), thalassemia with jaundice (0.8%), hemobilia (0.8%), acute cholecystitis with jaundice (0.8%), and sickle cell disease with ulcerative colitis and obstructive jaundice (0.8%). In six children, ERCP was done following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. ERCP was carried out under sedation in 91 (72.8%) children and under general anesthesia in 34. It was successful in 121 (96.8%) children while cannulation of the Ampulla failed in four. ERCP was normal in 43 children, but eight of them showed evidence of recent stone passage and in six, there were gallstones. In the remaining children, ERCP revealed: normal CBD with stones (18 patients), dilated CBD with stones (17 patients), dilated CBD without stones (19 patients), dilated biliary tree with stones (10 patients), dilated biliary tree without stones (six patients), bile leak (two patients), dilated biliary tree with stones and choledocho-duodenal fistula (one patient), choledochal cyst (two patients), septate gallbladder (one patient), normal ERCP with multiple pancreatic cysts (one patient) and biliary stricture (one patient). The following procedures were carried out: 35 had endoscopic sphincterotomy and stone extraction, 20 had endoscopic sphincterotomy, four had CBD stenting, one underwent removal of a stent, two had insertion of a nasobiliary tube and one had biliary endoprosethesis. There was no mortality. One had bleeding from the site of sphincterotomy which stopped after adrenaline injection. Four patients (3.2%) developed transient mild pancreatitis which settled conservatively. ERCP in the pediatric age group is safe both as a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure. ERCP can provide valuable information which aid in the diagnosis of biliary and pancreatic diseases in children as well as therapy with the technical feasibility of endoscopic sphincterotomy. This is specially so in the era of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, where ERCP should be the treatment of choice in children with CBD stones who are going or have previously undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy.     

Management of childhood pancreatic disorders: a multidisciplinary approach

INTRODUCTION: Data on therapeutic endoscopy and radiologic interventions for the management of childhood pancreatic disorders are relatively limited. This study focuses on the multidisciplinary approach to the management of pancreatitis in children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Children with pancreatic disorders were studied from January 1992 to May 2001. Acute pancreatitis (AP) was diagnosed by clinical evaluation, serum amylase more than three times normal, and morphologic abnormalities of the pancreas on imaging. Children with recurrent abdominal pain, pancreatic calcification or ductal stones on imaging, and pancreatic ductal changes on endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) were diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis (CP). Patients were treated by gastroenterologists, surgeons, and interventional radiologists. Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency was diagnosed in appropriate settings. RESULTS: Fifteen children--6 with AP (posttrauma, 3; gallstone disease, 1; and viral, 1), 7 with CP, and 2 with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency--were diagnosed. Local complications observed in children with AP included pseudocyst in three, and infected acute fluid collection, right-sided pleural effusion, and ascites in one patient each. Complications of AP were managed with percutaneous catheter drainage (n = 3; pseudocyst, 2; infected fluid collection, 1), additional pancreatic duct stenting (n = 2), surgical drainage (n = 1), and octreotide for pleural effusion (n = 1). Signs of CP included abdominal pain (n = 7), obstructive jaundice resulting from lower common bile duct stricture (n = 2), and bleeding from gastroduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm (n = 1). Pancreatic duct stenting relieved pain in one patient, and steel coil embolization arrested bleeding from the pseudoaneurysm. Common bile duct strictures were managed by surgical bypass (n = 2), one of which required preoperative endoscopic bile duct stenting for management of cholangitis. Two other patients with CP required no intervention. CONCLUSION: A multidisciplinary approach of radiologic and endoscopic interventions and surgery are complimentary to each other in achieving successful outcomes of complicated childhood pancreatitis.     

External and internal-external biliary drainage in children with malignant obstructive jaundice

Background. Obstructive jaundice is an uncommon but important clinical problem in children with cancer. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage is widely used to relieve malignant biliary obstruction in adults, but its use in children has not been well described.¶Materials and methods. Six patients aged between 1 and 17 years underwent external or internal-external biliary drainage to relieve malignant obstructive jaundice. Biochemical, haematological and microbiological parameters were measured before the procedure and repeated 7–9 days later.¶Results. External or internal-external biliary drainage was technically successful in all patients. No patient developed clinically significant biliary sepsis. Asymptomatic duodenal perforation occurred in one patient with bulky duodenal tumour following conversion from external to internal-external drainage.¶Conclusions. External biliary drainage may be successfully performed in children with malignant obstructive jaundice.