Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis: the changing trend in treatment in a Danish county

From 1950 to 1984, 679 patients were treated for infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) in the County of Funen, Denmark. Medical treatment was performed in 114 patients and pyloromyotomy in 565. A pyloric tumor was palpated in 80% and a barium meal examination was performed in 24% of the patients. A shift toward intravenous fluid and general anesthesia is seen during the study period. Complications occurred in 17% of medically treated patients and in 8% of surgically treated patients. Six deaths occurred among the medically treated and four among the surgically treated patients. During the study period, a shift toward centralization and surgical treatment took place.