Rare Cause of Acute Abdomen in Children: Spontaneous Rupture or Bleeding of Solid Malignant Tumor - Abstract
Introduction: Pediatric patients with abdominal solid malignant tumor may occasionally present with acute abdomen and required emergency surgery because of peritonitis. This report presents four cases of abdominal solid malignant tumor which are associated with rare emergency presentations.
Methods: This study was carried out on four patients with rare pediatric abdominal malignant tumor who presented to the Pediatric Surgery Unit in an emergency situation. All patients’ data, clinical presentations, radiological data, surgical procedures, complications, and survival data were collected, reviewed and analyzed.
Results: Between December 2010 till September 2014, 4 patients were admitted with different emergency presentations of clinically and radiologically. The tumor was identified separately was solid pseudopapillary tumor (2 cases), gastrointestinal stromal tumors located in the transverse mesocolon and undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver. The common presenting symptom was acute abdomen with peritonitis suspected of tumor spontaneous rupture and bleeding.
Conclusions: The emergency surgeon must be acquainted with the malignant tumor, its emergency presentation and principles of surgery in the presence of malignant tumor in children.