All issues > Volume 32(12); 1989

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1989;32(12):1686-1705. Published online December 31, 1989.

A Clinicostatistical Study of Congenital Digestive tract Anomalies.

Young Ok Park¹, Ju Hwi Kim¹, Young Wook Kim¹, Ki Bok Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Kwangju Christian Hospital, Kwangju, Korea

Received: April 25, 1989;  Accepted: August 2, 1989.

Abstract

A clinicostatistical review was performed on 151 patients of congenital digestive tract anomalies in infants and children diagnosed and treated at the Department of Pediatrics and Surgery of Kwangju Christian Hospital from January, 1983 to June, 1988. The results are summarized as follows: 1) The most frequently encountered congenital anomaly of the digestive tract was congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis with 41 cases(25.9%), followed by obstruction of small intestine(31 cases:19.6%), congenital megacolon(27: 17.1%), imperforate anus(17:10.8%), hepatobiliary anom- alies(12:7.6%), omphalocele and gastroschisis(8:5.1 %), esophageal atresia and tracheoesophagea 1 fistula(6:3.8%), diaphragmatic hemia(5:3.2%) and 11 others, in the decreasing order of frequency. 2) More males were affected, with the male to female ratio being 1.9:1. 3) Nearly one fifth of all cases (29/151) had birth weight less than 2,500gm. 4) A quarter of all cases (38/151) manifested clinical symptoms and signs within 24 hours, whereas nearly half showed symptoms and signs within 1 week, and 75.5% within 4 weeks. By the end of one year 93.4% of the patients became ill. 5) Main complications were pathologic jaundice(27.8%), electrolyte imbalance and moderate to severe dehydration( 17.9%), various infections(15.2%) and respiratory problems(11.3%). 6) In 36 cases(23.8%) associated congenital anomalies were found, which included other types of anomaly of digestive tract (25 cases), anomalies in cardiovascular (4), skeletal (4) and urogenital system (3), as well as Down syndrome (4) and miscellaneous anomalies (4). 7) Surgical treatment was performed in 76 patients. Postoperative mortality rate was 14.5%. 8) Overall mortality rate was 28.5%. Main causes of death were infections (44.2%), respiratory failure (30.2%) and fluid and electrolyte imbalance (25.6%).

Keywords :Congenital digestive tract anomalies