Unusual cause of neonatal intestinal obstruction

Abstract

There are many causes of intestinal obstruction in the neonatal age. The most common types are mechanical and result from congenital malformations of the gastrointestinal tract. However, functional disorders also occur. In some cases, diagnosis can be made prenatally but in others manifestation occurs after birth. The aim of this article is to present the case of a newborn with intestinal obstruction characterized by microcolon, dilated small bowel and megacystis known as Megacystis-Microcolon-Intestinal Hypoperistalsis syndrome, a very rare cause of intestinal obstruction. So far, less than three hundred cases have been reported in the literature. The prognosis of this syndrome is generally poor with most affected children dying in the neonatal period or infancy. Intestinal obstruction is a serious and life threatening condition. It may be explained by gross anatomical, histological or other abnormalities affecting the gut of the fetus. 1 Differential diagnosis may also take into account various anatomical, histological, or other abnormalities that may result in the obstruction of gut. 1 The incidence of intestinal