X-RAY FINDINGS IN THE PEDIATRIC SURDICAL EMERGENCIES

Abstract

A case of atresia of the ascending colon in a 2-day-old male infant with recovery was presented. The patient was born on Aug. 26, 1964. He started to vomit bile-stained vomitus on the second day of life and had not passed meconium.On admission, he was dehydrated and distended. The right side of the abdomen was somewhat bulgy and a elliptical doughy mass was felt. A flat and upright film showed marked distention of multiple loops of intestine with air fluid levels. There was an oval shaped gigantic intestinal gas shadow in the right half of the abdomen. Barium enema revealed microcolon with the radio-opaque material terminating at the splenic flexure. Emergency laparotomy was performed with the presumptive diagnosis of colonic atresia. A type III atresia of the ascending colon was confirmed at surgery. The ascending colon, including 10cm. of terminal ileum was resected and ileosigmoidostomy was performed. His postoperative course was uneventful and he was well in seven years after surgery.Congenital atresia of the colon is rare cause of intestinal obstruction in the newborn infant. During the year 1958 to 1973 inclusive, 32 infants have been operated upon for intestinal atresia at the Department of Surgery of Gunma University Hospital, and only 2, or 6 per cent, was located in the colon.