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Case Reports
. 2023 Jul 22;15(7):e42285.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.42285. eCollection 2023 Jul.

An Early Presentation of Spontaneous Intestinal Perforation in a Very Low Birth Weight Neonate: A Case Report

Neelam Harsha  1 , Suresh Babu Mendu  2 , Avinash Santhosh  3 , Rakesh Kotha Sr  4 , Madireddy Alimelu  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

An Early Presentation of Spontaneous Intestinal Perforation in a Very Low Birth Weight Neonate: A Case Report

Neelam Harsha et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Pneumoperitoneum is typically caused by breached hollow viscera and necessitates surgical intervention. This may have various etiologies, including spontaneous, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and obstruction. In these cases, spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) is a unique clinical entity with a better outcome than newborns with NEC-related intestinal perforation. Here, we present a rare case of SIP manifested in the form of pneumoperitoneum in the first eight hours of life, emphasizing the importance of differentiation between NEC and SIP, as each condition has variable treatment options and outcome considerations.

Keywords: general pediatric surgery; lower gastrointestinal tract perforation; necrotizing enterocolitis; preterm neonate; spontaneous intestinal perforation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Abdominal radiograph in supine view showing pneumoperitoneum
Figure 2
Figure 2. Intraoperative finding of ileal perforation (arrow mark)
Figure 3
Figure 3. Histopathological slide showing inflammation and haemorrhage
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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