Abstract
We reviewed the final diagnosis and incidence of bowel pathology in neonates presenting with large bowel obstruction that was relieved by the passage of meconium plugs. A retrospective case-note review was undertaken of all patients with a discharge diagnosis of meconium plug syndrome (MPS), meconium ileus (MI), Hirschsprung’s disease (HD), or small left colon syndrome (SLCS) from January 1996 to April 2002. Of 21 patients with meconium plug obstruction, eight (38%) had HD, nine had MPS, four had SLCS, and none had MI. However, there was considerable clinical and radiological overlap between MPS and SLCS, suggesting that these terms are imprecise. We found a much higher incidence of HD in babies presenting with meconium plug obstruction than has previously been reported. Overlap between MPS and SLCS suggests that these are not specific diagnoses and that current terminology needs to be changed. All babies with meconium plug obstruction should have HD and cystic fibrosis (CF) excluded.
References
Clatworthy HW, Jr., Howard WHR, Lloyd JR (1956) The meconium plug syndrome. Surgery 39:131–142
Olsen MM, Luck SR, Lloyd-Still J, Raffensperger JG (1982) The spectrum of meconium disease in infancy. J Pediatr Surg 17:479–81
Berdon WE, Slovis TL, Campbell JB, Baker DH, Haller JO (1977) Neonatal small left colon syndrome: its relationship to aganglionosis and meconium plug syndrome. Radiology 125:457–62
Rosenstein BJ (1978) Cystic fibrosis presenting with the meconium plug syndrome. Am J Dis Child 132:167–9
Rosenstein BJ, Langbaum TS (1980) Incidence of meconium abnormalities in newborn infants with cystic fibrosis. Am J Dis Child 134:72–3
Casaccia G,Trucchi A, Nahom A, Aite L, Lucidi V, Giorlandino C, Bagolan P(2003) The impact of cystic fibrosis on neonatal intestinal obstruction: the need for prenatal/neonatal screening Ped Surg Int 19:75–78
Ellis DG, Clatworthy HW, Jr. (1966) The meconium plug syndrome revisited. J Pediatr Surg 1:54
Gillis DA, Grantmyre EB (1965) The meconium plug syndrome and Hirschsprung’s disease. Can Med Assoc J 92:225
Van Leeuwen G, Glenn L, Woodruff C, Riley WC (1967) Meconium plug syndrome with aganglionosis. Pediatrics 40:665–6
Ellerbroek C, Smith WL (1986) Neonatal small left colon in an infant with cystic fibrosis. Pediatr Radiol 16:162–3
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Burge, D., Drewett, M. Meconium plug obstruction. Ped Surgery Int 20, 108–110 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-003-1098-y
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-003-1098-y