Percutaneous upsizing of a Blalock-Taussig shunt

Percutaneous upsizing of surgically placed Blalock-Taussig shunts is an uncommon practice. We report the case of an 8-month-old infant with single-ventricle physiology, who - due to comorbidities - was deemed unsuitable to proceed with Glenn operation. The 3.5-millimetre Blalock-Taussig shunt was stented successfully with a 5-millimetre pre-mounted stent, resulting in an increase in shunt diameter and oxygen saturation by nearly 30% and 10%, respectively.     

An infected urachal cyst presenting as an acute abdomen – A case report

INTRODUCTIONAn infected urachal cyst is one of a spectrum of presentations of urachal pathology, all of which are rare in adulthood.PRESENTATION OF CASEWe report the case of a 45-year-old obese Russian lady who presented with a 2-week history of suprapubic pain radiating to the right iliac fossa. Although previously fit and well, she had a history of 17 miscarriages. Both USS and CT suggested a complicated inflammatory mass in the lower abdomen. Ultimately the diagnosis was made by laparotomy, which revealed an abscess of an urachal cyst. The infected cyst and bladder dome were excised. The patient made a good recovery with an uneventful follow up.DISCUSSIONUrachal cysts are the commonest type of urachal anomaly. Infection is the usual mode of presentation amongst adult cases otherwise the condition usually remains asymptomatic. An infected urachal cyst is an important diagnosis to make as complications include sepsis, fistula formation, and rupture leading to peritonitis. Treatment is by complete excision, however, techniques have been debated.CONCLUSIONThis is a rare but important diagnosis however we recommend that in patients with atypical histories, it should be included in the differential diagnosis.     

Pediatric chondrodermatitis nodularis helicis

Chondrodermatitis nodularis helicis (CNH) is a rare condition of the pinna affecting mainly adults. A pediatric case of this condition is presented in the current report, and the literature of pediatric CNH is reviewed.