The finding of a normal or inflamed vermiform appendix within an inguinal hernia is termed Amyand's hernia. It is extremely rare in children, especially in infants and neonates. When it occurs, it is usually misdiagnosed as an irreducible or strangulated inguinal hernia, and the accurate diagnosis is made intraoperatively. We report two cases of Amyand's hernia in premature neonates. Both patients presented on admission with signs and symptoms indicating a strangulated right inguinal hernia, and the accurate diagnosis was made intraoperatively. One of them had progressed to local peritonitis. Appendicectomy and hernia repair were made at the same time through an inguinal transverse incision, and the postoperative course was uneventful in both. We point out the need to consider acute appendicitis in the differential diagnosis of strangulated right inguinal hernia.

Intrabdominal desmoplastic small round cell tumor is a highly aggressive malignancy with a very poor prognosis. Multiagent chemotherapy usually leads initially to a temporary regression of the tumor, but recurrence is the rule. Radical surgical excision, radiotherapy and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation does not seem to improve prognosis significantly. Despite all therapeutic modalities the outcome is dismal and surgical efforts can be considered only as palliative.

Primary omental torsion (POT), is a rare cause of acute abdomen commonly affecting obese male adults, whereas it is extremely rare in children. In this retrospective study, we present our experience regarding the management of five children with POT and discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic implications of this entity. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of children diagnosed for POT, from January 1996 to July 2006 at our department. Among 2,734 children operated for acute appendicitis, five patients were diagnosed with POT (ratio 1:587 or 0.18%). Clinical presentation, laboratory findings, diagnostic imaging results as well as surgical and histological findings were reviewed. There were four boys and one girl, M/F ratio 4:1, with a mean age of 9.5 years (range 7.2-10.3). All subjects were obese and their weight percentages were over 85% for their age group. On admission the clinical symptoms and laboratory findings were similar to those of acute appendicitis. They were submitted to laparotomy and the surgical findings were; free serosanguineous fluid in the peritoneal cavity, normal appendix and an ischemic twisted mass of the omentum at the right side of the abdomen. The mass and the appendix were excised and the postoperative course was uneventful. The histological examination of the specimens revealed hemorrhagic ischemic necrosis of the omentum and normal appendix. POT is very rare in children. In the pediatric age group the clinical presentation and the laboratory findings are similar to those of acute appendicitis and it is extremely difficult to be diagnosed preoperatively. Obesity seems to be an important predisposing high-risk factor. Excision of the twisted omentum is the treatment of choice.

Primary omental torsion (POT), is a rare cause of acute abdomen commonly affecting obese male adults, whereas it is extremely rare in children. In this retrospective study, we present our experience regarding the management of five children with POT and discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic implications of this entity. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of children diagnosed for POT, from January 1996 to July 2006 at our department. Among 2,734 children operated for acute appendicitis, five patients were diagnosed with POT (ratio 1:587 or 0.18%). Clinical presentation, laboratory findings, diagnostic imaging results as well as surgical and histological findings were reviewed. There were four boys and one girl, M/F ratio 4:1, with a mean age of 9.5 years (range 7.2-10.3). All subjects were obese and their weight percentages were over 85% for their age group. On admission the clinical symptoms and laboratory findings were similar to those of acute appendicitis. They were submitted to laparotomy and the surgical findings were; free serosanguineous fluid in the peritoneal cavity, normal appendix and an ischemic twisted mass of the omentum at the right side of the abdomen. The mass and the appendix were excised and the postoperative course was uneventful. The histological examination of the specimens revealed hemorrhagic ischemic necrosis of the omentum and normal appendix. POT is very rare in children. In the pediatric age group the clinical presentation and the laboratory findings are similar to those of acute appendicitis and it is extremely difficult to be diagnosed preoperatively. Obesity seems to be an important predisposing high-risk factor. Excision of the twisted omentum is the treatment of choice.

Currarino triad is a rare hereditary disease. The complete form is characterized by the presence of an anorectal malformation, usually anorectal stenosis, a presacral mass and sacral bony defect. The main symptom is the presence of constipation since early life. In over 80 % of cases, the syndrome is diagnosed during the first decade of life. We report on three patients, members of the same family, with the complete form of the syndrome. The main symptom in our patients was intense constipation and the common clinical finding was an ectopic and stenotic anus. In two of them, father and son, the presacral masses were not diagnosed at the time of previous unsuccessful operations in another hospital for correction of the ectopic anus. In the third patient, Currarino syndrome was associated with Hirschsprung's disease. This has not been described previously. Two of the three patients who were admitted in our institution for simultaneous excision of the presacral mass and correction of the anorectal malformation through a posterior midsagittal coccygo-perineal approach, are free of symptoms. To the authors' knowledge, this is the second report of complete Currarino triad in all affected members of the same family.