title: [Intestinal duplications. A survey of 18 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study analyses the experience of two centers in the management of intestinal duplications in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of a series of 18 children with intestinal duplication (January 1993 to December 1999). The median age was 11 months (range: 9 days to 12 years). The variables analysed were: clinical presentation, diagnosis, localization, anatomic type, treatment, and complications. The relationship between age and clinical presentation was also analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most cases were located in the ileum (n 14; 78 %) and presented with rectal bleeding (36 %) or intussusception (36 %). Most symptomatic cases in the first year of life presented with intussusception (n 5/6). All duplications, except one located in the ascending colon, were cystic. 99mTc-pertechnate abdominal scan was positive in three out of five patients. One case was diagnosed by prenatal ultrasonography. Diagnosis was confirmed by laparoscopy in three patients and by laparotomy in the remaining patients. In one patient, cystic esophageal duplication presented in the neonatal period as respiratory distress. Diagnosis as well as excision was performed by thoracoscopy. Of the two gastric duplications, one was diagnosed by prenatal ultrasonography and the other by laparotomy. Treatment consisted of segmental enterectomy (n 14) or excision of the lesion without enterectomy (n 4). No complications were found during a mean follow-up of 3 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The onset of intestinal duplication may be late. The lesions were most commonly located in the ileum and were cystic. Clinical presentation was related to age. Minimally invasive surgery plays an important role in the management of these lesions.
authors.affiliation: ServiCo Pediatria Cirurgica. Hospital So Joo. Faculdade do Porto. Oporto. Portugal. m_soares_oliveira@hotmail.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soares-Oliveira
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castañón
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ribo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Estevo-Costa
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morales
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007422:Intestines / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies