Oclusão/sub-oclusão intestinal recorrente no período neonatal: displasia ou imaturidade intestinal?

Abstract

Introduction: Changes in intestinal motility may be due to primary or secondary causes, the most serious clinical manifestation is intestinal pseudo-obstruction. However, in the neonatal period this may be due to abnormalities of intestinal innervation and / or varying degrees of immaturity of ganglion cells. Clinical Case: A preterm infant 26 weeks of gestation presented, at the 43rd day of life a clinical picture suggestive of necrotizing enterocolitis type IIA, which was not confirmed. In the following months she presented with successive subocclusive and occlusive intestinal episodes, ending in ileostomy. The anatomopathological examination revealed some myenteric and submucosal plexus (with increase in the number of ganglion cells) and some larger nodes than usual. The subsequent clinical course was favorable with good weight gain requiring, however, transient artificial nutritional support; reconstitution of intestinal transit occurred after 21 months. Discussion/Conclusions: The authors present this case of intestinal neuronal dysplasia emphasizing the favorable prognosis associated with intestinal growth and maturity with age.