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Query: UMLS:C0019209 (hepatomegaly)
 5,798 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

For over 15 years, upper respiratory tract obstruction due to adenotonsillar hypertrophy has been known to cause hypoxia, hypercapnia, increased pulmonary vascular resistance and thereby cor pulmonale and congestive heart failure. This is now an uncommon but not rare entity and three recent cases prompted this report. The typical patient is dyspneic with retractions, cyanosis, occasional periods of apnea and somnolence. Edema and hepatomegaly and at times splenomegaly are common. X-rays show cardiomegaly, which on electrocardiogram is found to involved mainly the right ventricle. The strict definition of cor pulmonale is right ventricular hypertrophy secondary to lung disease or abnormal pulmonary function, a definition that may logically be stretched to include abnormal respiratory function secondary to upper airway pathology. The mechanisms by which this occurs are generally agreed upon. Hypoxia has been demonstrated to cause pulmonary vasoconstriction. Acidosis and hypercapnia are thought by some to have the same effect. Pressure across the pulmonary vascular bed is also increased, as predicted by Poiseuille's law, by the high rate of blood flow required to maintain tissue oxygenation with poorly oxygenated blood. Conditions producing hypoxia of hypercapnia or both lead to hypertrophy and eventually to dilatation of the right ventricle. Three cases of children who underwent cardiac catheterization while suffering from cor pulmonale due to adenotonsillar hypertrophy are reported. Right ventricular pressure averaged 44/5, PAO2 72, pH 7.32, and PACO2 52. All were clinically improved following adenotonsillectomy. Cardiac catheterization was repeated in one case, with right ventricular pressure dropping from 44/5 to 21/2, pulmonary vascular resistance from eight units to three, and PACO2 from 62 to 44.
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PMID:Cardiac and pulmonary failure secondary to adenotonsillar hypertrophy. 95 48

Although laparoscopic fundoplication is now performed commonly in children, its long-term results in neurologically impaired (NI) children is unknown. We present a single surgeon's experience. During an 8.5 year period, 54 consecutive NI children (age 5 months to 16 years; weight 2.7 to 42 kg) who had failed medical treatment for severe gastroesophageal reflux (GER) underwent laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication without (7) or with (47) gastrostomy. Indications for surgery included failure to thrive and feeding difficulties in all, major vomiting in 42, recurrent chest infections in 44, and inability to take oral medication in 14. Hiatus hernia was present in 14 and delayed gastric emptying in 6 patients. Eight (15%) had undergone previous abdominal surgery. Access was modified according to individual anatomy and 4 or 5 cannulae were used in each patient. Postoperative epidural/morphine analgesia was used in the first 12 to 24 hours, and fluid intake and feeding were started on day 1 and 2, respectively. The average operating time for fundoplication was 2.2 hours (range 1.05 to 3) and for fundoplication and gastrostomy 2.3 hours (range 1.22 to 4.10). Three patients had conversion to open surgery (1 perforated esophagus, 1 hypercarbia and hepatomegaly, 1 camera failure). There were no other operative complications or mortality. One child with Down syndrome developed a food bolus obstruction 3 days postoperatively. The vast majority of patients were discharged home 3 to 4 days following fundoplication and 5 to 7 days following fundoplication and gastrostomy. Postoperative gas bloat was common, diarrhea developed in 4, dumping in 3, and major gastrostomy infection in 1 case. During follow-up (median 5.2, range 3 months to 8.6 years), 9 (16%) children showed signs of persistent/recurrent problems. Investigations showed a recurrent hiatus hernia in 1 (requiring re-operation) and minor reflux in 3 patients. To date 6 (11%) children have died of their background conditions. In NI children, laparoscopic fundoplication is safe and successful. Awareness of the differences in access and risks for NI and normal children is important. Compared with historical data for open technique, laparoscopic fundoplication produces lower mortality and morbidity and similar intermediate and long-term results.
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PMID:Results of laparoscopic antireflux procedures in neurologically impaired children. 1240 29