Gastrointestinal Tract Duplications, a Multicenter study

Abstract

Background: Gastrointestinal tract duplications are uncommon congenital abnormalities with variable clinical presentations, ranging from abdominal distension to intestinal obstruction.

Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics, surgical management, and outcomes of pediatric patients with gastrointestinal tract duplications at a tertiary center.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 28 pediatric patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal tract duplications. Inclusion criteria comprised patients who underwent surgical management with complete medical records. Data on demographics, clinical presentation, anatomical site, duplication type, associated anomalies, surgical procedures, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. Clinical evaluation, imaging, and histopathology confirmed diagnoses. Surgical approaches included resection with primary anastomosis, stoma formation, excision/enucleation, and partial excision with mucosal stripping, depending on lesion type and location.

Results: The most prevalent symptoms were abdominal distension and vomiting (50%), followed by abdominal mass (28.6%). Ileal duplications were most frequent (67.8%), followed by jejunal (14.3%) and gastric (7.1%) lesions. Cystic duplications predominated (60.7%). Resection with primary anastomosis was performed in 75% of patients. Overall, 23 patients (82.1%) had favorable outcomes, while 5 (17.9%) experienced complications, primarily sepsis (4 cases) and anastomotic leak (1 case).

Conclusion: Gastrointestinal tract duplications mainly present in early childhood with a slight male predominance. Early diagnosis and appropriate surgical management, primarily resection with anastomosis, result in favorable outcomes, with complications largely related to infection.