Transient abdominal pain, baby girl discovered to have rare disease
(Baonghean) - Choledochal cyst is a rare disease in children with a rate of 1/100,000 - 1/1,500,000 and women are more affected than men (ratio 4:1). If the patient is not detected and treated promptly, it can lead to gallstones, biliary obstruction and dangerous complications related to the liver and bile.
On November 27, 2018, Vinh International Hospital successfully performed laparoscopic surgery to remove a cyst of the common bile duct, gallbladder, and connect the bile duct to the intestines for a 10-year-old girl in Hoang Mai town (Nghe An).
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| Doctors at Vinh International Hospital perform surgery on a bile duct cyst. Photo: Kim Chung |
After consultation, the patient was indicated for laparoscopic surgery to remove the common bile duct cyst, gallbladder and restore biliary circulation using the Roux-en-Y biliary enterostomy method.
The dissection of the choledochal cyst was difficult because it involved important components of the hepatic pedicle (duodenum, hepatic artery, portal vein). The surgery lasted more than 3 hours and ended successfully. After 7 days of post-operative care and treatment, baby T fully recovered and was discharged from the hospital.
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| Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen. Photo: Kim Chung |
According to Dr. Tran Viet Hung - Department of Surgery, Vinh International Hospital, choledochal cyst is a congenital spherical or fusiform dilatation of the bile ducts in the liver, outside the liver or both, without primary obstruction of the common bile duct. Choledochal cysts are more common in Asia than in Western countries. According to the TODANI classification (1977), choledochal cysts include 5 types: I, II, III, IV, V; of which, in children, types I and IV account for 95%.
The disease is often difficult to detect because the symptoms are vague. Families need to be alert if the child has abdominal pain, accompanied by vomiting, possibly fever or jaundice. Choledochal cysts require early surgery at any age because of its dangerous complications. |
| Image of common bile duct cyst after surgery. Photo: Kim Chung |
“Choledochal cyst is a rare disease in children with a rate of 1/100,000 - 1/1,500,000 and women are more affected than men (ratio 4:1). If the patient is not detected and treated promptly, it can lead to gallstones, biliary obstruction and more dangerously, it can lead to cirrhosis, complications such as acute pancreatitis, acute cholangitis causing biliary bleeding, cyst rupture causing peritonitis, biliary tract cancer...
Therefore, when children show signs of severe abdominal pain, abdominal pain above the navel, pain of unknown cause, parents should not be subjective but take their children to medical facilities immediately for examination and treatment. Cases of intestinal shunts need to be monitored periodically: 1, 3, 6 months after surgery. After that, once a year until the child is 15 years old, and deworming must be done periodically every 6 months" - Doctor Tran Viet Hung recommends.
Laparoscopic surgery to remove choledochal cysts is one of the difficult techniques that Vinh International Hospital has successfully performed; it has affirmed the solid expertise of the hospital's medical team in carrying out the mission of community health care./.