ILEOCOLIC INTUSSUSCEPTION - AN UNUSUAL COMPLICATION IN A NEWBORN WITHINTESTINAL NEURONAL DYSPLASIA

Intestinal neuronal dysplasia type B (IND B) represents a congenital m alformation of the enteric nervous system causing disorders of intesti nal motility, e.g., chronic constipation, We report a newborn who prim arily suffered from intussusception and peritonitis. He required a sub total colectomy for gangrene. but since IND B had not been expected at this time, no specific immunohistochemical workup for IND was initiat ed. Following recurrent episodes of ileus and subileus within the next years, colonic biopsies were taken and histotopochemical staining rev ealed IND B, The remaining colon required resection; an ileorectostomy was performed and the patient is now asymptomatic. This case report d iscusses the causality of IND B for intussusception and stresses that in newborn patients the clinical presentation may be misleading, and a dequate histochemical evaluation is essential for early detection.