TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of a simple questionnaire predicting treatment success in children with ACNES
AU - van Hoek, P. P.
AU - Gorter, R. R. R.
AU - Janssen, L. L.
AU - Roumen, R. R. M.
AU - Scheltinga, M. M. R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Background: Some children with chronic abdominal wall pain or groin pain do not have an inguinal hernia but suffer from anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES). Diagnosing ACNES is challenging, especially in children as a diagnostic gold standard is lacking. A paediatric questionnaire containing 17 simple items was earlier found to discriminate between abdominal pain due or ACNES or IBS. Scores range from 0 points (ACNES very unlikely) to 17 points (ACNES very likely). The present study investigates whether this 17-item questionnaire predicted treatment success in children receiving therapy for ACNES. Methods: Children < 18 years who presented in a single institute between February 2016 and October 2021 with symptoms and signs suggestive of ACNES completed the questionnaire before intake and treatment. Treatment success after 6–8 weeks was defined as self-reported ‘pain-free’ (group 1), ‘ > 50% less pain’ (group 2) and ‘ < 50% less pain’ (group 3). Group differences regarding sex, age, BMI, symptoms duration and questionnaire scores were analysed. Results: Data of 145 children (female 78%, mean age 14.7 ± 2.3 years, mean BMI 21.1 ± 3.9) were analysed. All children received a diagnostic trigger point injection using an anaesthetic agent, and 75.5% underwent subsequent surgery for untractable pain. The three groups were comparable regarding sex distribution, age, BMI and symptoms duration. In addition, questionnaire scores were not different (group 1: n = 89, mean score 13.4 ± 2.7, group 2: n = 24, 13.4 ± 2.3 and group 3: n = 32, 13.0 ± 2.7, p > 0.05). Conclusions: Treatment success was attained in 78% of children undergoing surgery for ACNES. A simple questionnaire scoring items associated with abdominal pain did not predict treatment success.
AB - Background: Some children with chronic abdominal wall pain or groin pain do not have an inguinal hernia but suffer from anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES). Diagnosing ACNES is challenging, especially in children as a diagnostic gold standard is lacking. A paediatric questionnaire containing 17 simple items was earlier found to discriminate between abdominal pain due or ACNES or IBS. Scores range from 0 points (ACNES very unlikely) to 17 points (ACNES very likely). The present study investigates whether this 17-item questionnaire predicted treatment success in children receiving therapy for ACNES. Methods: Children < 18 years who presented in a single institute between February 2016 and October 2021 with symptoms and signs suggestive of ACNES completed the questionnaire before intake and treatment. Treatment success after 6–8 weeks was defined as self-reported ‘pain-free’ (group 1), ‘ > 50% less pain’ (group 2) and ‘ < 50% less pain’ (group 3). Group differences regarding sex, age, BMI, symptoms duration and questionnaire scores were analysed. Results: Data of 145 children (female 78%, mean age 14.7 ± 2.3 years, mean BMI 21.1 ± 3.9) were analysed. All children received a diagnostic trigger point injection using an anaesthetic agent, and 75.5% underwent subsequent surgery for untractable pain. The three groups were comparable regarding sex distribution, age, BMI and symptoms duration. In addition, questionnaire scores were not different (group 1: n = 89, mean score 13.4 ± 2.7, group 2: n = 24, 13.4 ± 2.3 and group 3: n = 32, 13.0 ± 2.7, p > 0.05). Conclusions: Treatment success was attained in 78% of children undergoing surgery for ACNES. A simple questionnaire scoring items associated with abdominal pain did not predict treatment success.
KW - Abdominal wall pain
KW - Childhood ACNES
KW - Paediatrics
KW - Surgery
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85143618914&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-022-02721-8
DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-022-02721-8
M3 - Review article
C2 - 36482227
SN - 1265-4906
JO - Hernia
JF - Hernia
ER -