Laparoscopy in children with acute intestinal obstruction by aberrant congenital bands.

Aberrant congenital bands are a rare cause of acute intestinal obstruction and usually present a diagnostic challenge. In 2008, the authors encountered 2 children with acute terminal ileal herniation. In the first case, it was caused by a mesodiverticular band, and numerous freely hanging filmy membranes attached to the antimesenteric side of the small intestine were found concurrently; whereas, an anomalous band from the distal ileum to the cecum was the leading cause in the second case. The vascularity of both herniated intestines was not compromised, and laparoscopy was successfully carried out 84 and 93 hours after the onset of the symptoms, respectively. Instead of cohesive adhesions, both of the causes related to a single vascular band, and laparoscopy was an effective and safe tool in diagnosis and subsequent treatment. The case with a mesodiverticular band and filmy membranes is the first case report with incomplete regression of both the vitelline circulation and the ventral mesentery.