Author(s)

Nick Zavras, Efstratios Christianakis, Dimitrios Papakonstantinou, Konstantinos Velaoras, Konstantinos Tsilikas, Khalil Ereikat

3^rd Department of Surgery, ATTIKO University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Pediatric Surgery Department, Penteli General Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Radiology Department, Penteli General Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece.

Background: Alimentary tract duplications (ATDs) are rare congenital anomalies of the gut tube, seen mainly in neonates and infants. Their presentations are often mimicking other conditions, thus posing a diagnostic challenge. Surgical treatment is required in all cases. Objective: The aim of this study is to present our experience in the diagnosis and management of this condition. Subjects and Method: We, retrospectively, reviewed 7 duplications in 7 patients and analyzed sex, age, clinical presentation, location, complications, diagnostic work-up, surgical methods and post-operative course. Encountered diagnostic and surgical difficulties were also reviewed in two extremely rare cases. Results: Patients’ age varied between 2 months and 10 years. All duplications were single. Six of them were intra-abdominal and one thoracoabdominal Three ADTs were asymptomatic and discovered during routine X-ray imaging. One ADT involving the cecum was mimicking appendicitis and complicated by recurrent intussusceptions. The thoracoabdominal one proved a surgical challenge as it was a completely isolated ATD. All patients underwent surgery without postoperative complications. We conclude that despite their rarity, ATDs require a high level of clinical suspicion, especially if they are presented as thoracic masses. Appropriate diagnostic investigation of the pediatric patients is always necessary to avoid delay in diagnosis.

Alimentary Tract; Duplication; Infants; Children

Zavras, N. , Christianakis, E. , Papakonstantinou, D. , Velaoras, K. , Tsilikas, K. and Ereikat, K. (2013) Alimentary tract duplications in infancy and childhood. A 25-year experience with focus on rare types of the disease. Open Journal of Pediatrics, 3, 324-330. doi: 10.4236/ojped.2013.34058.