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Milk of calcium cholelithiasis in children
S S Wu1, A T Casas, S K Abraham
1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, St Christopher's Hospital for Children, Front Street at Erie Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19134, USA..
Journal of Pediatric Surgery
|April 3, 2001
Insights
Milk of calcium bile is rare in children. This report details two pediatric cases with unique presentations and differing bile stone compositions and morphologies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Gastroenterology
- Biliary Pathology
Background:
- Milk of calcium bile is an uncommon condition, predominantly observed in adults.
- It involves a suspension of calcium carbonate in bile, often leading to biliary sludge or calculi.
- Diagnosis typically relies on imaging studies showing characteristic fluid-level patterns.
Observation:
- The study presents two pediatric cases of milk of calcium bile, a rare occurrence in this age group.
- Each child presented with distinct clinical histories and physical findings.
- The observed milk of calcium bile/calculi exhibited significant variations in chemical composition and gross morphology between the two patients.
Findings:
- The two pediatric cases highlight the variability in presentation and pathological characteristics of milk of calcium bile.
- Chemical analysis revealed differing compositions of the bile calculi in each child.
- Distinctive gross morphological features were noted for the milk of calcium bile/calculi in both cases.
Implications:
- These findings underscore the importance of considering milk of calcium bile in the pediatric differential diagnosis of biliary complaints.
- The diverse presentations and compositions suggest that etiology and pathogenesis may vary even within the pediatric population.
- Further research into the specific factors influencing the composition and morphology of milk of calcium bile in children is warranted.
Abstract:
Milk of calcium bile is uncommon and occurs mainly in the adult population. The authors report on 2 children, each having a distinct clinical history and presentation, and each with milk of calcium bile/calculi possessing differing chemical composition and highly notable gross morphology. J Pediatr Surg 36:644-647.