CHOLEDOCHAL CYST IN CHILDHOOD

During a two years period, four children were operated on because of c holedochal cysts. All four patients were girls aged 9, 9, 8 and 6 year s at operation. The symptoms at presentation were mainly episodic abdo minal pain, mild jaundice and tenderness under the right costal curvat ure. Ultrasonography of the biliary tract revealed a cystic dilatation of the choledochus. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (E RCP) confirmed the cystic dilatation and, importantly, delineated the junction of the pancreatic duet. The surgical procedure in all four pa tients consisted of complete excision of the choledochal cyst and extr ahepatic biliary tree combined with a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. T he postoperative course of all patients was uneventful. Ultrasonograph y of the abdomen should be performed liberally in case of biliary trac t symptoms in children.