Omental infarction: an unusual cause of acute abdomen in children.
Acute abdomen is caused by a wide variety of etiologies, many of which require surgical intervention. Two boys were hospitalized for acute abdominal pain and low-grade fever. Physical examination revealed epigastric and right upper abdominal fullness, and laboratory studies showed elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rates, with normal leukocyte counts and coagulation profiles. Abdominal ultrasound and computerized tomography revealed pseudotumor in both cases. Symptomatic treatment and cefazolin were administered, and pain and fever subsided after 6 to 10 days. Pseudotumor due to omental infarction can present as acute abdomen in children. A high index of suspicion and the use of both ultrasonography and computerized tomography will help avoid unnecessary surgical intervention in such cases.
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Dana Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Medical Center, 6 Weitzman Street, 64239 Tel Aviv, Israel. hnagar@post.tau.ac.il
H
H
Nagar
A
A
Kessler
L
L
Ben-Sira
I
I
Klepikov
J
J
Wiess
M
M
Graif
D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007238:Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009852:Omentum / Q000098:blood supply*; D011859:Radiography