title: Plain radiography for diagnosis of gastrointestinal perforation in immune-compromised children--is it enough?
abstract: Gastrointestinal perforation is a surgical emergency in the pediatric patient and any delay in diagnosis might be hazardous. In immunocompromised children, the clinical signs of perforation may be blunted. We describe a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and a perforated appendix and ileum in whom computerized tomography (CT) revealed extraluminal air that was not initially identified on plain abdominal film. Our case demonstrates the importance of early abdominal CT and ultrasound examination in detecting these potentially lethal complications.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatrics, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gilad
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paret
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vardi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kennet
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Barzilay
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007077:Ileal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D011859:Radiography; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous