2022 Volume 58 Issue 5 Pages 783-787
We experienced treating a neonatal case of intestinal obstruction caused by the spread of inflammation due to appendicitis. The patient, an 18-day-old boy, was brought to our hospital because of vomiting and abdominal dissension. A contrast-enhanced CT scan revealed an intestinal obstruction in the ileum, and emergency laparotomy was performed on the same day. Small bowel strangulation by the adherent band was located 30 cm proximal from the terminal ileum. The appendix was covered with a layer of pus and was extensively perforated, except for the root and tip, suggesting that the adherent band was formed by the spread of inflammation due to appendicitis. The appendix was dissected at the root. The strangulation site in the ileum was resected and anastomosed. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged 16 days after the operation. Neonatal appendicitis is very rare. In this case, there were no symptoms indicative of appendicitis before the onset of intestinal obstruction, and we diagnosed this case as appendicitis on the basis of pathological examination. The possibility of appendicitis as an underlying cause of intestinal obstruction in newborns without a history of laparotomy should therefore be considered.
