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Infantile Achalasia Cardia
Rupa Banerjee1, Alpana Prasad, Vivek Kumar
1Departments of Pediatric Surgery and *Pediatric Gastroenterology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India. Correspondence to: Dr Alpana Prasad, Room no 1284, Pediatric Surgery office (2nd floor), Department of Pediatric Surgery, Institute of Child Health, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi 110 060, alpanaprasad@hotmail.com.
Indian Pediatrics
|October 25, 2016
Summary
Infantile achalasia cardia, though rare, presents with vomiting and failure to thrive. Surgical intervention offers complete symptom relief and improved weight gain in infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Surgical Innovation
Background:
- Achalasia cardia is exceptionally uncommon in infants, posing diagnostic challenges.
- Early recognition is crucial to prevent severe complications.
Observation:
- Three infants (7-12 months) presented with recurrent non-bilious vomiting, chest infections, and failure to thrive.
- Contrast-swallow studies confirmed achalasia cardia in all cases.
Findings:
- Heller cardiomyotomy with fundoplication resulted in complete resolution of symptoms.
- Post-operative follow-up showed significant weight gain and improved health outcomes.
Implications:
- Achalasia cardia in infants is frequently misdiagnosed as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
- Timely diagnosis and surgical management are vital to reduce infant morbidity and mortality.
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