INTESTINAL STRICTURES FOLLOWING ACUTE NEC ROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS

Over a 10-year period, the authors followed the course of 112 neonates treated for primary acute necrotizing enterocolitis. Ten cases of gas trointestinal stricture were diagnosed, regardless of initial treatmen t, after an interval of 20 days to 6 months. The site of the stricture was colonic in 6 patients, ileal in three other patients and ileal an d colonic in the remaining patient. The stricture was treated surgical ly in 9 patients (resection-anastomosis in 6 cases, resection with gas trointestinal diversion in 2 cases and isolated gastrointestinal diver sion in 1 case). A follow-up barium enema in 1 patient showed spontane ous resolution of the stricture. With a mean follow-up of 5 years, the overcall result was considered to be good in 7 cases and poor in one case. Two deaths were observed, one on the 10th day and the other at t he 3rd postoperative day. These complications appeared to be related t o the delayed diagnosis and treatment of the stricture.