Newborn Abdominal Wall Defects
Historical Background Omphalocele was first described by Ambrose Paré during the 16th century, with emphasis on the critical nature and poor prognosis of this condition; gastroschisis was likely described by…
Abnormal Rotation and Fixation of the Intestine
Normal intestinal growth and development follows a stereotypical pattern of mesenteric rotation and subsequent intestinal fixation to the body wall during fetal life. The term malrotation has been widely used…
Atresia and Stenosis of the Bowel
“Atresia” is derived from the Greek work atretos , meaning not perforated. This term is used to describe a congenital absence or pathologic closure of a body opening or passage….
Intussusception in Infants and Children
Intussusception is a common cause of intestinal obstruction afflicting one in 2000 infants and children. This curious anatomic condition is characterized by the invagination of one segment of the gastrointestinal…
Appendicitis
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…
Other Diseases of the Small Intestine and Colon
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…
Neoplasms of the Liver
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…
Neoplasms of the Gastrointestinal Tract
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
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…
Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis
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…
