A Rare Cause of Acute Abdominal Pain in Childhood: Peptic Ulcer Perforation

Abstract

A 16 years-old boy presented to the emergency department with a history of intermittent pre-prandial epigastric pain over a 3-month period. Cholelithiasis was detected in his prior examination at another healthcare facility. Upon admission, Four children with a mean age of 12 years were referred to our emergency department with a history of abdominal pain. Examination revealed tenderness in the lower abdomen, in particular the left iliac fossa. The youngest child, who was 3 years old, also presented with shock. Abdominal X-rays revealed free air under both hemidiaphragms. Subsequent surgery was administered as the primary treatment of three patients and a partial resection was performed in the remaining one. The youngest child died and the others were discharged. These cases emphasize that although uncommon, alternate diagnoses must be kept in mind in children presenting with lower abdominal pain.