Treatment of idiopathic segmental infarction of the greater omentum in children via transumbilical single-port laparoscopy.

Abstract

Background: Idiopathic segmental infarction of the omentum represents a rare etiology of acute abdominal pain in pediatric patients. The atypical clinical presentation often leads to misdiagnosis and delayed intervention. This study aimed to summarize the treatment procedure of idiopathic segmental infarction of the omentum in children via transumbilical single-port laparoscopy and to offer a reference for clinical diagnosis and management of this condition.

Methods: Clinical information, including blood tests, imaging examinations, intraoperative findings, postoperative pathological results, and follow-up outcomes, was collected from children with idiopathic segmental infarction of the omentum at our institution from September 2023 to September 2025, and a retrospective analysis was conducted.

Results: There were 1 girl and 7 boys, whose ages ranged from 7 to 11 years, with an average of 9.1±1.2 years, and whose body mass index (BMI) ranged from 18.35 to 24.00 kg/m^2, with an average of 21.95±2.11 kg/m² among the 8 pediatric patients. The initial symptom was abdominal pain without any other accompanying symptoms. Ultrasound examinations revealed a hyperechoic abdominal mass in each patient without obvious blood flow signals, and computed tomography (CT) examinations revealed a mixed-density shadow mass in the abdomen without significant enhancement. Postoperative pathology confirmed infarction of the greater omentum, consistent with the preoperative diagnosis. All patients underwent transumbilical single-port laparoscopic surgery, with a hospital stay of 3-7 days and an average duration of 4.88±1.55 days. No complications, such as intestinal obstruction or incisional hernia, were observed during an average follow-up period of 21 months.

Conclusions: Transumbilical single-port laparoscopic surgery is safe, effective, and feasible for treating idiopathic segmental infarction of the omentum in children, and could serve as an alternative surgical approach for this condition.