[Annular pancreas in children]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Gastroenterology
• Congenital Malformations

Background:

• Annular pancreas is a rare congenital anomaly where pancreatic tissue encircles the duodenum.
• It often presents in infancy or childhood with symptoms of upper intestinal obstruction.

Observation:

• This study reviewed 19 pediatric patients diagnosed with annular pancreas.
• Clinical manifestations included acute or recurrent high intestinal obstruction.

Findings:

• The primary surgical approach involved bypass anastomosis (duodenojejunostomy or duodenoduodenostomy).
• Direct dissection of the pancreatic ring was deemed inadvisable in pediatric cases.
• A significant postoperative mortality rate of 10 out of 19 patients was observed.

Implications:

• The high mortality rate is attributed to factors such as prematurity, associated developmental defects, and birth trauma.
• Effective management requires careful consideration of surgical techniques and management of comorbidities.
• Further research into optimizing surgical outcomes and reducing mortality in pediatric annular pancreas cases is warranted.