Congenital pyloric stenosis in infants

Summary

Congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis occurs three or four times in every 1000 births. The newborn infants are unable to retain the feeds and hence are undernourished and ill-developed. The vomitus has no bile and is initially regurgitant but later projectile. First born males are the usual victims of this congenital anomaly. In the present series the family history of similar cases could not be elicited in a majority of the patients. The exact aetiology and pathogenesis of this condition is still obscure but many theories have been put forth to explain the genesis of it.

The pathology is confined remarkably to the region of the pylorus which shows hypertrophy of its circular muscle fibres reducing the lumen of the pylorus to virtually a potential space. Vomiting, dehydration, presence of a lump, visible peristalsis and constipation leave no doubt about the diagnosis which is confirmed by barium meal examination. The Fredet-Ramstedt pyloromyotomy was performed in a majority of the infants with good results. The post operative results were encouraging.