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Small Left Colon Syndrome (SLCS)

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Abstract

SLCS was originally described by Davis, et al., in 1974. It is a rare clinical entity in which newborns present with symptoms of distal intestinal obstruction. Infants of insulin dependent diabetic mothers are at increased risk for developing SLCS. Contrast enema demonstrates a small caliber colon up to the level of the splenic flexure with dilated proximal bowel. This is a functional obstruction, which typically resolves after a diagnostic and therapeutic contrast enema. If normal, spontaneous bowel movements follow the contrast enema, no further intervention is warranted. Surgical intervention is indicated in cases of complicated SLCS. Additional diagnostic evaluation is appropriate in patients who do not resume a normal, spontaneous stooling pattern. There are no sequelae of SLCS at long-term follow-up.

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References

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Correspondence to Colleen M. Fitzpatrick .

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Fitzpatrick, C.M. (2021). Small Left Colon Syndrome (SLCS). In: Lacher, M., St. Peter, S.D., Zani, A. (eds) Pearls and Tricks in Pediatric Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51067-1_30

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51067-1_30

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-51066-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-51067-1

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