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[Gastrointestinal malformations: a cause of chest pain]

A González de Zárate Lorente1, M I Barrio Gómez de Agüero, M Molina Arias

  • 1Servicio de Hepatología, Hospital Universitario La Paz. Madrid, España. anagzarate18@yahoo.es

Anales De Pediatria (Barcelona, Spain : 2003)
|March 14, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Digestive causes of chest pain in children are rare. This study highlights two cases where gastrointestinal malformations, like diverticula and duplication cysts, were diagnosed after chest pain evaluation.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Clinical Medicine

Background:

  • Chest pain is an infrequent reason for pediatric consultation.
  • Digestive system issues are even less common causes of pediatric chest pain.

Observation:

  • Two pediatric patients presented with chest pain.
  • Investigations revealed underlying gastrointestinal tract malformations: a diverticulum and an esophageal duplication cyst.

Findings:

  • The diverticulum may have resulted from a traction effect due to tuberculous primary infection.
  • Esophageal duplication cysts are congenital anomalies.

Implications:

  • Gastrointestinal malformations, though uncommon, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pediatric chest pain.
  • Early diagnosis and management of these conditions are crucial for affected children.

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