A Case of Acquired Ileal Atresia

Abstract

A 45-day-old female infant presenting with vomiting and abdominal distension was admitted to our hospital. She was born at 37 weeks of gestation with a birth weight of 2,180 g. Although bowel dilatation was detected on a fetal ultrasound test, her developmental course was uneventful after birth. An abdominal plain radiograph revealed ileus. Her abdominal distension was not improved by nasogastric tube drainage. An emergency operation was performed because an abdominal CT scan indicated obstruction at the terminal ileum. During laparotomy, the small intestine was found to be dilated, but no intestinal necrosis was detected. Ileal atresia 40 cm proximal to the ileum end was caused by a single adhesion band. The ileocecal valve and dilated intestine were resected and anastomosed. After the surgery, she had an uneventful course and was discharged on the 11th postoperative day. Seven years have passed after the operation, and she has grown normally. We experienced treating a rare case of postnatally acquired ileal atresia due to enteric vascular ischemia caused by a prenatal single adhesion band.