Abdominal Key

Introduction Acute appendicitis is one of the most common surgical conditions afflicting children and adults. Approximately 250,000 cases occur annually in the United States, with the highest incidence in patients…

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth The microbiota of the small intestine is essential for proper immune regulation and nutrient absorption. Typically, the concentration of bacteria is less in the proximal small…

Hepatic tumors make up only 1% to 4% of pediatric solid tumors, and most of these are metastatic lesions from an extrahepatic site. The symptoms leading to their diagnosis are…

In contrast to the adult population, neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract and liver are rare in children. Often the diagnosis is made while exploring the cause of nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms….

Crohn’s Disease (CD) is one of the three subtypes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), together with ulcerative colitis (UC) and IBD unclassified (IBDU). CD is typically characterized by transmural, granulomatous…

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common gastrointestinal emergency in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). It is primarily a disease of prematurity, with only 10% of affected infants born…

Since the last edition of this book, advances in the understanding of the adaptive and innate immune systems have led to the characterization of a number of novel primary immune…

Children and adolescents with gastrointestinal polyps may present symptoms including rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, or intussusception. Alternatively, they may be asymptomatic, having been referred, because either an adult family member…

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an important pediatric gastrointestinal disease, given its potential for significant morbidity and even mortality during childhood, its chronicity, and its premalignant nature. Although significant advances in…

Significant advances have been made in the management of patients with intestinal failure, including pediatric patients. These advances include medical gut rehabilitation, autologous reconstruction, bowel lengthening, and visceral transplantation. Gut…