Is isomerism a risk factor for intestinal volvulus?

Neonatal Assessment of Infants with Heterotaxy

Heterotaxy is a generalized term for patients who have an abnormality of laterality that cannot be described as situs inversus. Infants with heterotaxy can have significant anatomic and medical complexity and require personalized, specialized care, including comprehensive anatomic assessment. Common and rare anatomic findings are reviewed by system to help guide a thorough phenotypic evaluation. General care guidelines and considerations unique to this patient population are included. Future directions for this unique patient population, particularly in light of improved neonatal survival, are discussed.

Isomerism of the atrial appendages: morphology and terminology

BACKGROUND

Our aim is to identify the pathognomonic anatomical markers and the best terminology to describe the cardiac malformations associated with absent or multiple spleens, which are known as asplenia or polysplenia syndromes or isomerism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We have reviewed 65 hearts with isomerism of atrial appendages of the Anatomical Collections of Congenital Heart Disease, Institute of Pathological Anatomy of the University of Padua consisting of 1800 specimens. All the hearts were classified according to sequential segmental classification.

RESULTS

The incidence of isomerism was 3.6%. Of the total, 45 hearts with isomerism of right atrial appendages showed bilateral trilobed lungs, short bronchi, and absent spleen. The atrioventricular junction was univentricular in 49% of cases with a common atrioventricular valve in 91%. Pulmonary atresia and double outlet right ventricle were present in 40% and 47% of cases, respectively. Total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage and absent coronary sinus were always present. In 20 hearts with isomerism of left atrial appendages, bilateral bilobed lungs with long bilateral bronchi and multiple spleens were always found. The biventricular atrioventricular connection was present in 65% with a common valve in 30% of the hearts. The ventriculoarterial connection was concordant in 45% of cases, and aortic atresia and pulmonary atresia were both noted in 15% of each. An anomalous symmetric pulmonary venous drainage was observed in 65% of the hearts and interruption of inferior vena cava was found in 75% of cases.

CONCLUSIONS

We believe that the appropriate terminology is based on the symmetrical morphology of the atrial appendages. The absence of the coronary sinus and the total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage are the markers of isomerism of the right atrial appendages. Symmetric pulmonary venous drainage and interruption of inferior vena cava are the markers of isomerism of left atrial appendages. In recent years, thanks to the improvement of clinical diagnosis and of surgical techniques these patients have the possibility to survive to adult age.

Laparoscopic Ladd's procedure for malrotation in infants and children is still a controversial approach

BACKGROUND

Open Ladd's procedure is the gold standard for the correction of intestinal malrotation and laparoscopic approach remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate our experience in laparoscopic management of malrotation.

METHODS

Single center retrospective study including patients who underwent a laparoscopic assessment of intestinal malrotation with correction if appropriate between 2007 and 2017.

RESULTS

Sixty-five patients (median age 7 months) had a laparoscopic assessment with and without correction of malrotation. Forty-five (69%) were symptomatic, including 16 (25%) with a midgut volvulus. The procedure was completed laparoscopically in 55 (86%) patients in 110 min (30-190). Conversions happened more frequently at the beginning of the experience. With a follow-up of 12.5 months (8 days-5.3 years), morbidity rate was 15% and 4 (6%) patients underwent a redo surgery, all in the first 5 months after surgery, compared with 3/53 (6%) in a contemporaneous group undergoing open Ladd's.

CONCLUSION

This is the largest series reported so far of the laparoscopic management of malrotation. Laparoscopic Ladd's procedure is reliable but still exposes to open conversion which may be in part owing to a learning curve. A low conversion threshold is important in cases with volvulus. The redo rate is similar to that of the open procedure.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III retrospective comparative treatment study.

Antenatal ultrasound diagnosis of small bowel non-rotation in complex left isomerism: a case report

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A rare case of mixed isomerism and antenatally diagnosed non-rotation of bowel is reported.

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Features of bowel non-rotation should be sought antenatally in cases of isomerism.

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Mixed isomerism and postnatal sequelae should be considered when right and left sided pathology coexist.z

Presentation of case

A multiparous expectant mother was referred to our tertiary unit at 23 weeks with a complex fetal cardiac anomaly in the context of suspected heterotaxy syndrome. The cardiac findings were consistent with isomerism: the fetal cardiac position was levocardia with a single functioning double outlet ventricle and AV valve, pulmonary stenosis, and interrupted inferior vena cava (IVC) with azygous continuation. The fetal abdominal situs was also altered, with the stomach to the right, and the hepatobiliary system midline to left. The spleen was not identified antenatally or postnatally. At 36 weeks, ultrasound revealed an abnormal bowel pattern with small bowel loops on the right side of the abdomen and large bowel on the left, suggesting a diagnosis of non- rotation. The infant was delivered vaginally at 39 weeks. The cardiac diagnosis and non-rotation of the small bowel were confirmed by postnatal echocardiography and contrast fluoroscopy.

Discussion

Heterotaxy syndrome is traditionally classified into right or left isomerism depending on how and where the organs are anatomically arranged. The case presented here demonstrates mixed laterality and prenatal ultrasound features of non-rotation.

Conclusion

It is important to be informed of the embryological variants of isomerism and actively seek antenatal evidence of bowel non-rotation in such cases.