Idiopathic congenital anomalous bands: About ten cases with systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: PURPOSE: There are various causes and associated conditions in anomalous bands. Idiopathic congenital anomalous bands are extremely rare. The use of the term “congenital bands” may, in reality, not describe the same situation. The study aims to report our series of idiopathic anomalous bands and proposes an accurate and consistent classification of anomalous bands in order to clarify the origin of each band. METHODS: This study, conducted from January 2005 to January 2018, included all patients admitted to the emergency departments with a clinical diagnosis of intestinal obstruction resulting from bands that have no identifiable embryological or acquired basis called “idiopathic”. Recorded operative findings included the site of obstruction and the operative procedure to relieve it. RESULTS: The sample consists of seven boys and three girls with age range from one day to 9 years with symptoms and signs indicative of intestinal obstruction. Surgical intervention was performed, and intraoperative findings revealed a thick and vascularized idiopathic band, in different locations, which was responsible for intestinal obstruction in all patients. Clinical courses were uneventful in eight cases. CONCLUSION: Idiopathic anomalous congenital bands causing intestinal obstruction are not frequently encountered in surgical practice and these bands are often difficult to classify and define. We believe that our new classification is a practical communication tool for medical professionals to summarize and clarify the different types of anomalous bands.