Esophageal achalasia is a rare disease in childhood, with unknown etiology. The presentation may be confused with gastroeshophageal reflux, sometimes causing a diagnosis delay. The surgical approach, as well as an antireflux procedure, is the treatment of choice.

-Context -The omentoenteropexy technique was developed as an alternative method for intestinal neovascularization, due to the angiogenic properties of factors from the omentum. Objectives -This study investigated changes in intestinal villi heights and crypts depths due to surgical techniques: seromiotomy with and without omentoenteropexy. Method -Thirty rats were operated on, after being divided into three groups, namely GI, GII and GIII with 10 rats each. In the GI rats were submitted to omentoenteropexy; rats in GII were submitted only to a seromiotomy, and in the GIII only laparotomy. Sixty days after the first surgery, the animals were sacrificed and a segment of intestine was removed for histology using Masson's trichrome technique and morphometric study of intestinal mucosa.Results -The histological findings showed that seromiotomy with or without omentoenteropexy increased the length of intestinal villi when compared with GIII (only laparotomy) (analysis of variance: P = 0.0068; GI 38.88 ± 4.17; GII 39.41± 6.33; GIII 31.85 ± 5.56; GI = GII P>0.05; GII>GIII P<0.05; GI>GIII P<0.001). Conclusion -No differences were demonstrated in relation to crypt depths between the groups (P = 0.60). Ongoing studies are being set forth by our group to add more data on the role of omentopexy as a tool to promote neovascularization and intestinal mucosal growth.

Objective: To report a case of a 9-year-old female presented with esophageal achalasia and approached with surgery. The authors discuss the treatment and make a literature review on the topic.Description: Childhood esophageal achalasia is an unusual disease, often with unknown etiology. The main symptoms are esophageal vomits, dysphagia and weight loss. The diagnosis can be made by esophagogram and endoscopy, but the main examination is the esophageal manometry. Even though the surgical approach is a wellestablished therapy, some alternative treatments have been used, such as the endoscopy balloon dilatation and the use of botulinum toxin.Comments: Esophageal achalasia is a rare disease in childhood, with unknown etiology. The presentation may be confused with gastroeshophageal reflux, sometimes causing a diagnosis delay. The surgical approach, as well as an antireflux procedure, is the treatment of choice.J Pediatr (Rio J). 2004;80(6):523-6: Dilated esophagus, gastroeshophageal reflux, childhood, esophagomyotomy, pneumatic balloon dilatation, botulinum toxin.

Esophageal achalasia is a rare disease in childhood, with unknown etiology. The presentation may be confused with gastroeshophageal reflux, sometimes causing a diagnosis delay. The surgical approach, as well as an antireflux procedure, is the treatment of choice.

RESUMO -Com objetivo de estudar os efeitos das colectomias parciais, foram operados 30 ratos Wistar distribuídos em três grupos iguais. Em dois grupos, realizou-se a ressecção do ceco e da valva ileocecal, sendo feitas colectomias proximal ou distal INTRODUÇÃOCom o desenvolvimento da cirurgia pediátrica, é cada vez maior o número de crianças que sofrem ressecções parciais do cólon e que serão acompanhadas por muitos anos de pós-operatório. Incluem-se nesse grupo de doentes, as crianças submetidas a colectomias parciais e a anastomose ileocólica para o tratamento do megacólon congênito total (24) e os tratados cirurgicamente de enterocolite necrosante. No pós-operatório destes pacientes observamos diarréia, ulcerações perineais e desenvolvimento pôndero-estatural deficiente (17,21,25) .No campo das pesquisas, sabe-se que a colectomia seguida de anastomose ileorretal ou de ileostomia, leva à hiperplasia da mucosa do intestino delgado (34) .Por outro lado, sabe-se que em ratos colectomizados, há aumento do peptídio YY e do glucagon circulante (33) . É conhecido também que em animais submetidos a hemicolectomia direita, ocorre aumento significativo das perdas de nitrogênio nas fezes, diminuição do ganho de peso corporal e do conteúdo de nitrogênio orgânico (7) , e que o cólon