African Journal of Paediatric Surgery最新文献

{"title":"Correlation of Skeletal and Dental Midlines in Patients with Bimaxillary Protrusion, The Concept of Medical Physics behind Setting Optimised Treatment Goals: A Digital Radiographic Study.","authors":"Anandadevi Chinnasamy, Genoey George, Lalsangliana Ralte, Srikanth Erukala, Vidya Bannampalli, Sameena Parveen, Babu J Suresh, C Swarnalatha, Abhishek Singh Nayyar","doi":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.609","DOIUrl":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.609","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>An aesthetic smile needs a balanced dental midline and symmetrical dentition. It is in this context that a discrepancy in the facial and dental midlines is considered to be one of the most common problems for orthodontists to correct.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To compare the topographical location of the skeletal (maxillary and mandibular) midlines in comparison with the dental midline in patients with bimaxillary protrusion using digital orthopantomograms.</p><p><strong>Patients and methods: </strong>150 orthodontic patients aged 11-32 years with Angle's class I molar relation and class I skeletal base with bimaxillary protrusion were included. These participants were examined for their skeletal and dental midlines using digital orthopantomograms and the results obtained were subjected to statistical analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Only 34 (22.67%) and 31 (20.67%) subjects revealed their skeletal (maxillary) midline and skeletal (mandibular) midline coinciding with the dental midline respectively. Again, only 60 (40.00%) subjects revealed their skeletal (maxillary) midline coinciding with the skeletal (mandibular) midline, while 30 (20.00%) subjects revealed deviation towards right and 60 (40.00%) subjects revealed deviation towards left when their skeletal (maxillary) midline was compared with the skeletal (mandibular) midline making midline shift towards left a more common phenomenon among the subjects included in the present study.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results obtained in the present study may play a significant role during orthodontic treatment planning and in correlating pre-to-post-treatment results following orthodontic corrections.</p>","PeriodicalId":7519,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Paediatric Surgery","volume":"23 1","pages":"15-23"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149036063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the Role of Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage in the Interim Management of Paediatric Choledochal Cysts with Cholangitis: A Pilot Study.","authors":"Rashi Rashi, Amit Kumar, Amit Kumar Sinha, Bindey Kumar, Rajeev Nayan Priyadarshi","doi":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.883","DOIUrl":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.883","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Choledochal cysts are congenital anomalies of the bile ducts that can lead to significant complications, such as cholangitis, liver fibrosis, and biliary obstruction. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) in managing choledochal cysts with cholangitis in children.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This non-randomized interventional study included twelve paediatric patients with choledochal cysts and cholangitis treated over two years. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage was performed to relieve biliary obstruction and stabilize patients before definitive surgical repair. Data were collected on patient demographics, clinical presentation, haematological and biochemical profiles, imaging findings, procedural details, and outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 12 children, 8 (66.7%) were female, with a mean age of 55 ± 55 months. Jaundice was present in 11 (91.7%), abdominal pain in 10 (83.3%), vomiting in 9 (75.0%), and fever in 6 (50.0%). Baseline bilirubin and liver enzymes were elevated in all cases. Following PTBD, bilirubin levels decreased by 56% (median) by day 7, with 90% symptom resolution. Eight patients proceeded to surgery, while three had unfavorable outcomes. No major PTBD-related complications occurred. At follow-up, all surgically treated patients had normalized liver function, with histopathology showing periportal fibrosis in 50% of cases.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage was associated with clinical and biochemical stabilization in selected high-risk patients and may serve as an interim strategy before definitive surgery. Larger controlled studies are required to clarify its impact on outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":7519,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Paediatric Surgery","volume":"23 1","pages":"7-14"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149036050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative Diagnostic Performance of Six Clinical Scoring Systems for Identifying Complicated Appendicitis in School-Aged Children: A Multicenter Prospective Study.","authors":"Qasem Alyhari, Saif Ghabisha, Saleh Al-Wageeh, Faisal Ahmed, Abdulfattah Altam","doi":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.20","DOIUrl":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.20","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Complicated appendicitis (CA) in children is associated with increased morbidity and prolonged hospitalization. Early identification of patients at higher risk may facilitate timely surgical management and optimize resource utilization.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>to compare the diagnostic performance of six clinical scoring systems for identifying CA in school-aged children.</p><p><strong>Patients and methods: </strong>A multicenter prospective observational study was conducted among children aged 10-15 years with histopathologically confirmed acute appendicitis between January 2024 and December 2025. The Appendicitis Inflammatory Response (AIR), Modified Alvarado Scoring System (MASS), Paediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS), Modified PAS (MPAS), Lintula, and Tzanakis scores were calculated prospectively before surgery. Complicated appendicitis was defined according to the World Society of Emergency Surgery criteria. Diagnostic performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, comparison of areas under the curve (AUCs), calibration analysis, and decision curve analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 360 children included, 132 (36.7%) had complicated appendicitis and 228 (63.3%) had uncomplicated disease. The AIR score demonstrated the highest discriminatory performance, with an AUC of 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.74-0.82), sensitivity of 76.8%, and specificity of 73.8% at a cut-off value of ≥9. MASS showed moderate discrimination (AUC 0.72, 95% CI: 0.67-0.77), followed by Lintula (AUC 0.71), PAS (AUC 0.69), Tzanakis (AUC 0.68), and MPAS (AUC 0.65). DeLong comparison demonstrated significantly higher discrimination of AIR compared with other scoring systems. The AIR score showed the best calibration and highest net clinical benefit on decision curve analysis.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The AIR score demonstrated superior diagnostic performance among six evaluated scoring systems for identifying complicated appendicitis in school-aged children. Its use may improve early risk stratification and clinical decision-making, particularly in settings where advanced imaging resources are limited. External validation in broader paediatric populations is recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":7519,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Paediatric Surgery","volume":"23 1","pages":"30-37"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149036045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Adenotonsillectomy on Quality of Life in Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.","authors":"Adedeji Taiwo, Adegbosin Busoye, Folami Emmanuel, Sogebi Ayodele","doi":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.721","DOIUrl":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.721","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adenotonsillectomy is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in children with obstructive sleep apnoea due to chronic upper airway obstruction. There is paucity of data about the impact of adenotonsillectomy on children's quality of life in Nigeria.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study evaluated the quality of life of children pre and post adenotonsillectomy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Caregivers of children who had adenotonsillectomy completed the obstructive sleep apnoea OSA-18 quality of life (QOL) validated questionnaire before, and 6 months after adenotonsillectomy. The OSA-18 contains 18 questions and assessed the QOL in 5 domains.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 80 (out of 105) caregivers completed and returned the questionnaires concerning 80 children (M = 38, F = 42). The age of the children ranged from 1 - 9 years with a mean ± SD of 3.67 ± 1.92 years. Caretaker preoccupation and sleep disorders were the domains with the greatest changes in their mean scores having 17.51 and 17.11 respectively. The mean ± SD of the total OSA-18 score was 89.89 ± 13.16 preoperatively, and 22.43 ± 4.31 post operatively. The changes in the scores for each domain, for each item of the OSA-18 survey, and the total score were highly significant (p ˂ 0.001). The mean of the caretaker-perceived quality of life for the children showed improvement from 3.50 to 8.50 (p ˂ 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Adenotonsillectomy produced markedly significant improvements in the affected children's quality of life.</p>","PeriodicalId":7519,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Paediatric Surgery","volume":"23 1","pages":"24-29"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149036043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Paediatric Splenectomy at the National Centre for Paediatric Surgery, Sudan: A Five-Year Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study.","authors":"Abdelrahman S Elnour, Zeinab T Ageep, Mohammed Elfattih Idris, Alshazly Mohamed, Faisal Nugud","doi":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.271","DOIUrl":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.271","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Splenectomy is a common paediatric surgical procedure indicated for various haematological and non-traumatic conditions. Understanding patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and surgical outcomes is essential to optimise management and improve care.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study describes the indications, operative approaches, and early outcomes of paediatric splenectomy at the National Centre for Paediatric Surgery.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a single-centre, retrospective review of 47 paediatric patients who underwent splenectomy between 2019 and 2023. Data on demographics, clinical presentation, surgical details, and early postoperative outcomes were extracted from medical records. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed to evaluate associations between variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study included 24 males (51.1%) and 23 females (48.9%) with a mean age of 7.1 ± 3.3 years. The main indications were thalassaemia 48.9%, sickle cell disease 25.5%, and hereditary spherocytosis 17%. Pallor 38.3% and abdominal pain 29.8% were the most frequent presentations. All patients underwent open splenectomy, with a paramedian incision in 85.1% of cases. Intraoperative bleeding occurred in 4.3% of patients, and postoperative complications were minimal, with a single surgical site infection. Mean hospital stay was 5.2 ± 1.9 days.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Pediatric splenectomy is safe and effective for haematological disorders, with low complication rates and rapid early recovery.</p>","PeriodicalId":7519,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Paediatric Surgery","volume":"23 1","pages":"55-58"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149036081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of Efficacy of Autogenous Dentine Grafts in Socket Preservation Post-Exodontia Using Bone Densitometric Analysis in Grafted and Non-Grafted Healing Extraction Sockets Following Bilateral Mandibular Third Molar Extractions: A Prospective, Evaluative Study.","authors":"Rahber Firdous, Abdulsalam S Alshammari, Abdulkareem M Alshehri, Swetha Vempalli, Mohammad Alqubaisey, Hamad Alrafie, Suresh J Babu, Swarnalatha C, Abhishek S Nayyar","doi":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.614","DOIUrl":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.614","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>When a tooth is lost, a general lack of stimulation of the remaining alveolar bone results in a decrease in trabeculae and subsequently, bone density in the post-extraction alveolus. In recent years, numerous bone augmentation techniques employing a range of bone graft materials have been used to reconstruct the deficient vertical and/or, horizontal alveolar ridge dimensions.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To evaluate the efficacy of autogenous dentine grafts in socket preservation post-exodontia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a split-mouth study design which included 60 subjects, while the bone density was assessed in the test (grafted) and controlled (non-grafted) sites following bilateral mandibular third molar extractions after placement of dentine grafts. Furthermore, bone density was assessed in the both horizontal and vertical planes, while patients were evaluated pre-operatively and then, immediate post-operatively and at the end of 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results obtained in the present study indicated statistically significant differences in terms of the mean bone density values when compared between the test and controlled sites at various levels and at different treatment time points using independent-samples t-test (p<0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The use of autogenous dentine grafts can be considered to be a viable option for socket preservation post-exodontia; however, a careful and meticulous patient selection and appropriate treatment planning appear to be of utmost significance in order to achieve predictable clinical (and surgical) outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":7519,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Paediatric Surgery","volume":"23 1","pages":"44-53"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149036099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Incidence and Outcomes of Neonatal Intestinal Obstruction at Princess Marina Hospital Botswana.","authors":"Mamiki Chise, Sarah A MacLean, Loeto Mazhani, Lesego Gabaitiri, Goutam Chowdhury, Andrew P Steenhoff","doi":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.1209","DOIUrl":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.1209","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Neonatal intestinal obstruction (NIO) is a surgical condition with good outcomes in well-resourced health facilities. In Botswana, there are no data on NIO. During the study, all NIO cases across the country were treated at Princess Marina Hospital (PMH), the nation's largest referral hospital. For NIO in Botswana.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>to determine the incidence, spectrum, outcomes and factors associated with mortality.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective descriptive case series of neonates admitted between January 2010 and December 2012 to PMH with NIO. Data were collected from medical and surgical records. All cases under one month of age at admission were included. The incidence was calculated using national birth statistics and risk factors for mortality were explored using univariable and multivariable regression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Seventy-nine NIO patients had a median age at admission of 3 days (IQR: 2-6), 49% were male, and median time from birth to surgery was 5 days (IQR: 3-6). The incidence of NIO was 5.96 per 10,000 live births. The most common diagnosis was jejunal obstruction (35%). In-hospital case fatality rate was 37%. In a multivariable model that included birth weight, time to surgery and maternal HIV status, only birth weight of >2500g was significantly associated with survival (OR=25.7, 95% CI 2.71-243.1; p<0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In Botswana, the incidence of NIO is similar to that in other settings. Overall mortality is high and low birth weight confers risk for mortality. This study provides a platform for further research to study the trends of NIO and explore other factors that affect outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":7519,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Paediatric Surgery","volume":"23 1","pages":"38-44"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149036116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultrasound-guided Procedures for Postoperative Pain Management in Paediatric Patients Undergoing Thoracic Surgeries: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Suresh Kumar Thanneeru, Sri Rama Ananta Nagabhushanam Padala, Molli Kiran, Vidhya Gunasekaran, Amit Gupta, Roshan Chanchlani, Pramod Kumar Sharma, Amit Agarwal, Reyaz Ahmad","doi":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.1311","DOIUrl":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.1311","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This systematic review seeks to assess and compare various ultrasound-guided procedures for delivering analgesia through peripheral nerve blockade, aiming to ascertain the most effective approach for paediatric thoracic surgeries. The primary goal is to evaluate the efficiency of these ultrasound_guided procedures in managing postoperative pain among children undergoing thoracic surgeries.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, SCOPUS, Central Cochrane Registry of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library) and Science Direct databases for paediatric thoracic surgeries conducted with ultrasound-guided procedures for administering analgesia. We included studies involving randomised controlled trials (RCTs) only. Quasi-randomised controlled studies, prospective, retrospective observational studies, case series, case reports, letters, editorials, comments, animal studies and studies from non-English literature were excluded.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After screening 29 articles with our search strategy and removing duplicates, a total of 4 articles met our criteria. Analysing 225 patients from RCTs, TTPB (29.78%) was the most used block. Opioid consumption varied, but overall trends aligned with pain scores. Time to the first analgesia ranged from 5 to 7 h, with PIPB at 5 h. Complications included pneumothorax and hematoma with TTPB and hematoma with PIPB (n = 3).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>While the existing body of literature is limited, this study underscores the crucial need for additional RCTs to thoroughly investigate the optimal procedures for various types of thoracic surgeries. The scarcity of studies emphasises the importance of further research to glean meaningful conclusions and enhance our understanding of the most suitable approaches in this field.</p>","PeriodicalId":7519,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Paediatric Surgery","volume":"23 1","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149036123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ruptured and Non-Ruptured Omphaloceles: Characteristics, Management and Mortality Risk Factors in a Nigerien Cohort.","authors":"Ali Ada Mahamoud Omid, Moustapha Hellé, Yaro Issoufou, Sakine Ismail Hassan, Issoufou Hama Sidi Mansour, Abarchi Habibou","doi":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.719","DOIUrl":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.719","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Omphalocele is a congenital anterior abdominal wall defect classified by size and sac integrity. In resource-limited settings, ruptured forms, low birth weight and delayed referral are associated with high mortality, yet ruptured and non-ruptured forms are seldom compared directly.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To evaluate the distinctive diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic aspects of ruptured and non-ruptured omphaloceles.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This prospective, descriptive study included all patients with omphalocele admitted to the Paediatric Surgery Department of the National Hospital Amirou Boubacar Diallo Niamey, Niger between 1st August, 2023 and 28th February, 2025 (19 months). Sociodemographic, diagnostic, therapeutic, and outcome variables were analysed. Patients with ruptured and non-ruptured omphaloceles were compared using the Mann-Whitney and chi-square tests and Student's t-tests (p<0.05 was considered significant).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eighty patients were included (5.6% of all hospitalizations), and mean admission age was 1.76 days (median, 18 h). Regarding prenatal care, only 6.25% (n=5) of the patients attended ≥6 consultations, and 14.64% (n=6) had antenatal diagnoses. Patients with ruptured omphaloceles (41.25%, n=33) showed significantly lower birth weight (p=6.54×10⁻¹⁹), higher primigravid prevalence (p=0.04), and younger maternal age (p=6.54×10⁻¹⁹) than those with non-ruptured omphaloceles. Pre-referral management gaps included absent nasogastric tubes (97.5%, n=78), delayed intravenous access (76.25%, n=61), and inadequate sac protection (36.25%, n=29). Treatment included the Grob (60%, n=48) and Gross (18.75%, n=15) techniques. Complications (18.75%, n=15) were predominantly due to sepsis (n=6), and the mortality rate was 51.25% (n=41), which was due to sepsis (n=12) and respiratory failure (n=8). Ruptured omphalocele (p<0.00000001), low birth weight (p=0.0039), admission delay (p=6.53×10⁻¹⁹), and primigravidity status (p=0.0237) correlated with mortality.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study highlights the critical impact of ruptured omphalocele, low birth weight, and delayed admission on omphalocele mortality in Niger. The increasing incidence and clear causes of ruptured omphalocele remain to be explored.</p>","PeriodicalId":7519,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Paediatric Surgery","volume":"23 1","pages":"59-63"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149036073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Patent Omphalomesenteric Duct Arising from the Caecum and Opening at the Umbilicus in a Newborn: A Case Report and Literature Review.","authors":"Kubilay Gürünlüoğlu, Ramazan Ozdemir, Sevgi Demiroz Taşolar, Zehra Bozdağ, Zekine Begec, Mehmet Akif Türköz, Semra Gürünlüoğlu, Mehmet Aslan","doi":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.7","DOIUrl":"10.67481/ajps.v23i1.7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This case report describes a patent omphalomesenteric duct (POD) connecting the umbilicus to the caecum, rather than the classically described umbilicus-to-ileum configuration. A 10-day-old neonate presented to the emergency department with faecal discharge from the umbilical opening. Contrast fistulography through the umbilical orifice demonstrated that the patent tract communicated with the caecum. This preoperative imaging was particularly valuable, as it directly informed the surgical approach. Rather than using a standard periumbilical or lower midline incision, the surgeons performed a right-sided infraumbilical incision extending toward the right lower quadrant, which shortened operative time and facilitated the procedure technically. The tubular tract was resected and the caecal defect primarily repaired. The neonate recovered uneventfully and was discharged on the fifth postoperative day without complications. This case highlights two key clinical points. First, the anatomy of a patent omphalomesenteric duct may not always follow the classic umbilicus-to-ileum pattern, and preoperative imaging is essential for accurate delineation of the tract before surgery. Second, surgical intervention should be considered for all patients with POD, given the well-documented risk of future complications, particularly intestinal obstruction. This report adds a novel anatomical variant to the existing literature and demonstrates how preoperative imaging can guide tailored surgical management in neonatal POD cases, ultimately improving outcomes and reducing operative morbidity in this rare but clinically significant congenital condition.</p>","PeriodicalId":7519,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Paediatric Surgery","volume":"23 1","pages":"68-73"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149036128","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}