Omental infarction: preoperative diagnosis and laparoscopic management in children.

Abstract Background: Omental infarction (OI) is an unusual, poorly characterized cause of abdominal pain in children and is often mistaken for appendicitis preoperatively. We present our experience with this disease process over a 5-year period to identify preoperative factors to aid in timely diagnosis and treatment. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all children that had OI and underwent laparoscopic omentectomy from November 2004 to June 2009. Results: Ten patients with the diagnosis of OI were identified. OI occurred in 9 boys and 1 girl, with a median age at presentation of 8.5 years (range, 7–11). Median body mass index at presentation was 23.7 (range, 17–29), with 1 child categorized as healthy weight for age, 1 child as overweight for age, and 5 children as obese for age, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. All patients complained of right-sided abdominal pain; 4 patients complained of predominantly right-upper quadrant (RUQ) pain, 3 patients of ...