Peptic ulceration in childhood

Perforated peptic ulcer in an adolescent girl

A perforated peptic ulcer in a child is a rare entity. Severe abdominal pain in an ill-appearing child with a rigid abdomen and possibly with signs of shock is the typical presenting feature of this life-threatening complication of peptic ulcer disease. We present a case of a 14.5-year-old adolescent girl who developed abdominal and shoulder pain that resolved after 1 day. She was then completely well for 2 days until the abdominal and shoulder pain recurred. On examination, she appeared well, but in pain. A chest radiograph revealed a large pneumoperitoneum. She underwent emergent laparoscopic omental patch repair of a perforated ulcer on the anterior wall of her stomach. Result of a urea breath test to detect Helicobacter pylori was negative. The differential diagnosis of pneumoperitoneum in children is discussed, as are childhood perforated peptic ulcer in general, and the unique clinical features present in this case in particular.

Acute duodenal ulcer

A series of 31 infants and children with acute duodenal ulcer verified by endoscopy was studied over an eight year period. Eighteen (58%) of them were under 2 years of age. The most common symptom was upper gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 27, 87%). Twenty nine patients (94%) had a preceding illness characterised by diarrhoea, upper respiratory tract infection, or fever, which was not necessarily treated with antipyretic drugs. Initial endoscopy showed that ulcer lesions were solitary in 14 patients and present on the anterior wall (n = 11), posterior wall (n = 2), or both (n = 1). Multiple ulcers were found in 17 patients, and present in the bulb with (n = 6) or without (n = 11) extension into the second part of duodenum. The most conspicuous finding was the irregularly shaped ulcers seen in eight young children with similar clinical and endoscopic features. Sixteen patients were re-endoscoped one to two weeks after the initial examination; the ulcers had entirely disappeared in 13, and there were only small residual ulcers in three. Thirty patients were treated medically and only one (with uncontrollable haemorrhage) required operation. Most patients were symptom free two to six years after the initial diagnosis. Our results suggest that young children may develop acute duodenal ulcers after viral illnesses whether or not they are treated with drugs, mainly antipyretics. This kind of acute duodenal ulcer usually heals quickly irrespective of the morphology, site, and number of ulcers.

Perforated chronic duodenal ulcer in children with coexistence of acute appendicitis

Two cases of perforation of duodenal ulcer with coexistence of acute appendicitis are reported. Current concepts regarding this unusual complication of childhood duodenal ulcer are discussed.

Adverse occurrences in the pediatric intensive care unit

This article is intended to provide a review of the literature describing adverse occurrences affecting children in the intensive care unit. In addition, information related to the care of critically ill children is inferred from studies of adult or neonatal patients. Finally, areas in need of future investigation are suggested.

Peptic ulcer disease in children and adolescents. A ten-year experience

We report a retrospective review of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) in children seen at Children's Hospital of Michigan, over 10 years (1971-1980). Of the 61 included, 31 had primary ulcers and 30 had stress ulcers. The diagnosis was made by either barium meal or endoscopy, at surgery, or at autopsy. Stress ulcers were commoner in children less than 4 years of age and were precipitated by various conditions leading to shock. The majority of these patients required surgery for perforation or bleeding. Primary ulcers were more common in children older than 4 years. The most common presenting symptoms in this group were abdominal pain and gastrointestinal bleeding. The majority of patients with primary PUD received medical therapy in the form of antacids and/or cimetidine. In one-third of these patients, surgery was necessary for complications such as intractable pain, perforation, or massive recurrent hemorrhage.

Perforated stress ulcers in infants

During a 5-yr period, 10 infants less than 1 yr of age developed gastroduodenal perforation during treatment for severe underlying illness. Brisk gastrointestinal hemorrhage preceded perforation in most patients. In contrast to stress ulceration in adults, infants appear to have a higher frequency of single ulcers, perforation, and duodenal (rather than gastric) location. The mortality of 40% in this group, and in those patients reported in the literature who have been treated since 1960, implies that effective preventive and therapeutic measures are not yet available and also emphasizes the serious nature of the underlying disorder.

Duodenal ulcer disease in chidren

Eleven cases of chronic duodenal ulcer in children were subjected to surgical treatment in a period of 7 years. The diagnosis was based on typical peptic ulcer symptoms, hyperchlorhydria, and barium meal x-ray studies delineating a duodenal bulb deformity with an ulcer crater in 8 patients. Three cases of duodenal ulcer perforation in infants were diagnosed at aparotomy for peritonitis with pneumoperitoneum. All the patients hailed from the rgion of Assam, India, where peptic ulcer is prevalent. A positive family history of peptic ulcer in 5 patients, blood group O in 7 patients, and the regional diet were considered to be predisposing factors. Medical treatment consisting of a bland diet, sedatives, antispasmodics, and a brief hospital stay failed to provide permanent relief of symptoms. Truncal vagotomy with a drainage procedure was done in 8 patients with no deaths. However, simple closure of the perforation in the 3 infants resulted in fatalities due to fulminant septicemia. The patients were followed up for 1-8 years. Six patients had permanent relief of symptoms. Two patients occasionally complained of epigastric fullness and eructation. They showed normal growth, gain in weight and hemoglobin levels, and had no recurrence. We believe that operative treatment is preferable to medical management of chronic duodenal ulcer in children.

Primary peptic ulcer in childhood. Psychosocial, psychological and psychiatric aspects

Twenty-five children with radiologically confirmed primary peptic ulcers were investigated. All patients suffered from duodenal ulcer and there was an unexpected female preponderance. The frequency of introverted personalities was greater in the patients than in the controls. Five patients suffered from psychiatric disorders, three had histories of suicidal attempts and three reported homosexual experiences. Six patients had nicknames. Eight patients had been operated on for appendicitis. The above parameters were negative in all control cases. The patients had lower mean IQ, worse adaptation to school, more anxious and overprotective parents, higher frequency of faddiness in food and lower frequency of nail-biting than the controls. The onset of symptoms was preceded by psychotraumatic events in eight cases. The findings suggest that the manifestation of the genetic background of duodenal ulcer is strongly influenced by environmental factors and factors associated with the personality of the patients.