Vol 12, No 4 (2022)

BACKGROUND: The right-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia is the rare pathology. Results of diagnostics, prognosis and treatment usally published as a collection of cases.

AIM: Comparition of treatment results of congenital diaphragmatic hernia with the liver as its content in dependancy of the side.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present a retrospective analysis of 50 newborn patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Patiens were divided in two groups, first — with right-sided (19 patients), and second — with left-sided hernia (31 patients). Groups were compared by gender and weigth. Comparition criteria was the results of prenatal and postnatal diagnostics, intraoperative data, postoperative period, complications and outcomes.

RESULTS: We found predominance of prenatal diagnosis in the second group (48% vs 84%, p = 0,001). The lung-to-head circumference ratio were the same in both groups (0,52 in first, 0,46 in second, p = 0,058). Chance to use thoracoscopic approach in the second group was higer in 5,7 times (48% vs 84%). Postoperative period was easier in the group of right-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia: artificial ventilation lasted on average 8 days (min 3; max 28) versus 11 (min 4; max 50) days in the first group (p = 0,036).

Hospital stay was significantly lower in the second group — 18 days (min 12; max 28), versus 50 days in the first group (min 13; max 64), p = 0,011. Recovery chance in patients with right-sided hernia was higher (45% vs 79%, confidence interval 0,059–0,814).

CONCLUSIONS: Every type of diaphragmatic hernia, including right-sided location, need to be the subgect of research of high compitantive center. Prognostic criteria for right-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia require furter advanced study, wich is possible only in case of concentration of patients in the same center.

BACKGROUND: Fetal hydronephrosis is one of the most common malformations of the urinary system. The main goal of prenatal diagnostics is to identify a risk group with a dilatation of the renal collecting system due to mechanical obstruction of the pelvic-ureteral segment.

AIM: The aim of the study is to definition of a prenatal risk group with a high probability of early surgical intervention in the postnatal period based on an assessment of the predictor properties of the pelvis shape in hydronephrosis grade III.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective analysis of the results of prenatal ultrasound examination of 77 fetuses (82 renal units) with grade III hydronephrosis (SFU classification) was carried out. The anteroposterior diameter of the pelvis was measured in millimeters at the level of the kidney gate. With the ellipsoid shape of the pelvis, the compression ratio of the ellipse was calculated as the ratio of the small semi-axis of the ellipse to its large semi-axis. All parameters were recorded in the third trimester of pregnancy. The study included cases of hydronephrosis with parenchymal thickness not differing by more than two sigma deviations from the standard value. The first ultrasound examination in the postnatal period was performed during the first month of life and then at 3, 6 and 12 months.

RESULTS: Prenatally, 57 kidneys had an elliptical pelvis and 25 funnel-shaped. The anteroposterior diameter of ellipsoid (16.5 [13; 20]) and funnel-shaped pelvis (15.0 [13; 17.8]) did not differ statistically significantly (p = 0.39). 36 (43.9%) patients were operated on, 29 of them were operated at the age of 1–3 months, due to the increase in APD from 17.5±6.0 to 27.9±8.2 (p = 0.001) and the transition of hydronephrosis to the IV degree by 1 month of life. The remaining 7 children had gradual progression of hydronephrosis and were operated at the age of 12 months and older. In 56.1%, resolution, regression or stabilization of hydronephrosis were noted during dynamic observation lasting 1 year. With a single-variant analysis, it was found that the configuration of the pelvis and the compression ratio of the ellipse statistically significantly correctly predicted the progression of hydronephrosis and the probability of surgery at 69.5% and 80.5%, respectively. At the same time, the compression ratio had a higher sensitivity and specificity.

CONCLUSIONS: Fetal hydronephrosis with a funnel-shaped configuration of the pelvis, has a functional nature and regresses after birth during the first year of life. The antenatal ellipsoid configuration of the pelvis, approaching the circumference, is a statistically significant predictor of surgical intervention due to the progression of hydronephrosis due to external causes of obstruction.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of the clinical condition, prediction of risks and possible outcomes during the transfer of newborns remains an important part of the work of transport teams. Respiratory disorders remain a significant indication for transfer to medical organizations of a higher level of care.

AIM: To study the predictive value of the parameters of respiratory support in newborns requiring medical evacuation for the outcomes of treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The observational, cohort, retrospective study included data from neonatal to patients on ventilators (286 newborns) in the period from August 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018. Anamnesis parameters, intensive care volume, respiratory support settings, and assessments on scales (KSHONN, NTISS, TRIPS) were evaluated. Analyzed: 24-hours mortality, 7 days mortality, hospital mortality, air leakage syndrome. The assessment and comparison of the predictive value of the parameters in relation to the hospital outcomes was performed.

RESULTS: The AUC ROC of SpO₂/FiO₂ for predicting 24-hours mortality was 0.984 [0.966–1.000], which is significantly higher than the ROC of the saturation oxygenation index (AUC 0.972 [0.949–0.995], p = 0.004). The area under the ROC of the 24-hours mortality on the TRIPS scale does not significantly differ from the saturation index of oxygenation (AUC 0.972 [0.949–0.995], p = 0.113) and the mean airway pressure (AUC 0.943 [0.884–1.000], p = 0.107). When predicting 7-day mortality, the saturation oxygenation index has AUC ROC (0.702 [0.549–0.854]) significantly lower than AUC ROC for SpO₂/FiO₂ (0.762 [0.638–0.887], p = 0.001). SpO₂/FiO₂ predicts total mortality with AUC ROC (0.759 [0.677–0.841]).

CONCLUSIONS: The mean airway pressure, saturation oxygenation index and SpO₂/FiO₂ have a high (AUC > 0,9) predictive value for 24-hours mortality, while only SpO₂/FiO₂ reliably predicts total mortality with AUC ROC > 0,7.

The paper provides a review of domestic and foreign literature on photodynamic therapy, which is mainly used by oncologists in the treatment of adult patients and is little known to pediatric surgeons. The aim of this work is to describe the history of the formation, principles and mechanisms of photodynamic therapy, the main groups of photo sensitizers, areas of clinical application and prospects for wider use in pediatric surgery.

Literature sources were searched in the databases in Russian eLibrary and English Medline and PubMed. The following keywords were specified for the search: photodynamic therapy, dysplasia, metaplasia, angiodysplasia, Barrett’s syndrome, children. 865 papers were found, of which 66 were fully consistent with the purpose of our study and were analyzed.

The data presented in the review of the literature indicate the high efficiency of the method of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of a number of diseases, mostly in oncology. In addition, the work contains theoretical calculations and separate reports on the effectiveness of the method in the treatment of dysplasia of varying degrees in children.

Taking into account the minimally invasiveness of the technique, the relative cheapness of photosensitizers and equipment for generating laser radiation, it is possible to create a basis for conducting research on the treatment of children with various dysplasias, epithelial metaplasia, and vascular malformations. Another promising direction is the development of technologies for the use of photodynamic methods for the treatment of severe forms of pyoinflammatory diseases in children.

In childhood surgery, there are nosological forms of diseases where the method of photodynamic therapy has the prospect of effective use. Limitations on the scope of this article do not allow for a detailed analysis of the existing experience in the use of photodynamic therapy in children, which will need to be done in subsequent works.

Congenital porto-caval shunts are rare and may have a different morphological structure (intra- and extrahepatic shunts, with or without portal blood flow). The main method of treating patients with this pathology is endovascular shunt occlusion. However, in some cases, this method is ineffective.

The article contains a description of six clinical examples of surgical treatment of congenital porto-systemic shunts in children. In the diagnosis of congenital portosystemic shunts, the leading role belongs to Doppler ultrasound, multislice computed tomography, and angiography. The indication for surgical treatment was the anatomical features of the shunt, which makes endovascular occlusion technically impossible. In one observation a wide Arantian duct was diagnosed, its open ligation was performed. In another case, the portal vein emptied directly into an aneurysmal dilatation, performed reconstructive plastic surgery on the vessels of the portal vein. In the next observation, a pronounced retrograde blood flow was determined along the dilated inferior mesenteric vein, blood was discharged through the sacral plexus into the internal iliac vein. The left internal iliac vein was isolated and ligated, the dysplastic inferior mesenteric vein was ligated and partially removed. In 2 patients, the portal vein flowed directly into the inferior vena cava in the area of aneurysmal expansion; an operation was performed — open ligation of the shunt. In one observation, a deep hypoplasia of the intrahepatic branches of the portal vein was diagnosed, and therefore the restoration of portal blood flow after the closure of the shunt is impossible. The child was sent to decide on a liver transplant.

Each case of congenital porto-caval shunts is unique. The surgeon determines the tactics directly during the operation, depending on the morphological structure of the organs, since the preoperative examination does not always give an unambiguous idea.

Spontaneous perforation of the external biliary tract is an extremely rare pathology in childhood, presented in the literature by description of clinical cases. To date, a unified approach to the treatment of children with this pathology has not been developed.

The paper presents a clinical case of spontaneous perforation of the anterior wall of the common hepatic duct in a child of seven months, with the development of bilioperitoneum against the background of obstruction of the common bile duct by bilirubin calculi.

CASE REPORT. The disease began acutely with repeated vomiting, stool acholia, dark urine, and an increase in the size of the abdomen in a 7-month-old child. Examination in the hospital revealed ascites, cholecystitis and shadows of calculi in the projection of the hepatoduodenal ligament. According to the results of laparocentesis, bilioperitoneum was noted. The patient underwent laparotomy, 300 ml of serous-biliary effusion was removed from the abdominal cavity. On the anterior semicircle of the common hepatic duct there is a defect from which bile flows. Suturing of the perforation of the biliary tree, cholecystectomy and drainage of the external bile ducts through the stump of the cystic duct were performed. The cholangiostomy was removed after 1.5 months. Follow-up 1 year and 3 months, pathology is not determined during the examination.

CONCLUSIONS. Sewing up the site of primary perforation with drainage of the external biliary tract can help accelerate the reparative process with a decrease in the risk of developing a biliary fistula. Performing primary reconstructive interventions on the abdominal cavity compromised by bilioperitoneum, in our opinion, is too risky.

Commentary on the article Schneider IS, Tsap NA, Gaydysheva EV, Timoshinov MYu, Ekimov MN, Smirnova SE. “Chronic obstruction of the stomach as a result of congenital malformation in a child of 1.10 months. Case report” published in the Russian Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Anesthesia and Intensive Care. 2022;12(4):513–520. (In Russ.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/psaic1283

The paper describes the professional activities and merits of the pediatric surgeon Viktor V. Nesterov in celebration of his anniversary.