PERFORATION OF THE COLON.

Abstract

PERFORATION of the colon in the new-born is followed by a high mortality; it may occur secondary to obstruction, inflammation, or instrumentation. 1 The first infant known to have survived this condition was reported in 1950 by Lee and MacMillian. 4 Their patient recovered after repair of perforation of the cecum secondary to atresia of the splenic flexure. Standard 9 reported the second survivor of perforation of the colon in 1952. However, no obstructing lesion could be found in his patient at operation or thereafter. McLanaghan and Gilmore 7 reported two more survivors in whom no apparent obstruction was found at operation but the infants died months later from other congenital anomalies. Lyall and Michie 6 recently reviewed the literature and found reports of only eight neonatal patients who have survived perforation of the colon. Clatworthy 2 reported nine cases of the meconium plug syndrome in 1956. This characteristic low