Post Necrotizing Enterocolitis Colonic Strictures: Report of 5 Cases

Abstract

Background: With increasing survival of patients suffering from necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) colonic strictures, as its late sequelae, is increasingly being seen and most of these patients present with chronic constipation. Case Series: Five patients of acquired colonic stricture presenting with abdominal distension and constipation are being reported here. All five patients varied in clinical features, age at presentation and surgical manage-ment. Three of them had abdominal distension and constipation with poor nutritional status. Primary resection with anastomosis could be done in only one while stoma was made initially in other patients. One patient pre-sented with sealed perforation and fistula between jejunum and colon. All, except one patient, had stricture at splenic flexure. Histopathology of colon reported normal ganglion cells in all patients. Conclusion: All survivors of necrotizing enterocolitis, should be followed for the development of colonic stricture; It should be kept as important differential diagnoses of chronic constipation in children.