title: Digestive tract disorders associated with asplenia/polysplenia syndrome.
abstract: The authors reviewed experience gained over a 20-year period of asplenia or polysplenia syndrome, focusing on patients with associated digestive tract disorders (DTDs). Eleven of 27 patients (40%) with asplenia/polysplenia had associated DTDs. The DTDs comprised malrotation of the intestine in nine, both preduodenal portal vein and gastric volvulus in three, esophageal hiatal hernia in two, and biliary atresia in one. Laparotomy was carried out on four patients with symptoms of acute bowel obstruction and on one patient with biliary atresia. One patient with both malrotation and gastric volvulus, and another with only associated malrotation survived. Nine patients died, eight of cardiac insufficiency and one because of hepatic insufficiency. When infants are diagnosed with heterotaxia, they should be examined for other combined DTDs, because they may have a chance for survival if they undergo surgery when their condition is still stable.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, St Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakada
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wakisaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Enami
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamate
mesh_terms: D001656:Biliary Atresia / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D002303:Cardiac Output, Low / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004066:Digestive System Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications; D006551:Hernia, Hiatal / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000601:surgery; D007813:Laparotomy; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000002:abnormalities; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013154:Spleen / Q000002:abnormalities*; D013277:Stomach Volvulus / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate; D013577:Syndrome; D014102:Torsion Abnormality / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery