Generalized Meconium Peritonitis Diagnosed with Antenatal Ultrasonography

ABSTRACT

Meconium peritonitis is defined as an aseptic, chemical or foreign-body peritonitis caused by spill of meconium in the abdominal cavity related to the prenatal perforation of the intestine. Perforation is usually caused by obstruction from meconium ileus, intestinal atresia, stenosis, volvulus, internal hernia, congenital pertoneal bands, intussusception, or gastroschisis. Less commonly, no evidence of distal obstruction exists. Here, we present two cases of generalized meconium peritonitis of antenatal diagnosis. The first case, detected at 8 months of gestational age, had a perforation of the proximal blind pouch of jejunal atresia, associated with respiratory distress due to severe abdominal distension. This case was successfullY treated with resection and anastomosis and brief period of postoperative ventilatory support. The second case had a distal ileal perforation with thick meconium in the terminal ileum. In this case, there was no dilatation of ileum proximal to the perforation site. Resection and anastomosis was performed and postoperative course was uneventful.