ABSTRACT

• Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is usually a disease of premature infants, but occasionally it affects the term neonate. Twenty-five infants with NEC were treated at Asan Medical Center between January 2000 and December 2002. and 13 of them were term infants. In each case, the diagnosis of NEC was established by a clinical illness fulfilling the Bell's stage II or III NEC as modified by Walsh or by surgical findings. There were six males and seven females. The birth weight was from 1,960 to 3,700 g. The age at diagnosis was from 1 to 40 days. Four patients had congenital heart disease; one of them had hypothyroidism and cleft palate. Abdominal distension was present in all, and bloody stools in four. One patient had history of hypoglycemia, three had Rota viral infection. Eight patients had leucopoenia (<5.0 × 10⁹/L), Seven had thrombocytopenia (<100 × 10⁹/L), and three severe thrombocytopenia (<50 × 10⁹/L). Laparotomy was required in 10 of the 13 patients. Indications for operation in acute phase were failure to respond to aggressive medical therapy in five, and perforation in three patients. There were two late phase operation for intestinal stricture and fistula. There was no operative complications. Ten of thirteen patients survived (76.9%). Two patients died of septic complication. There was a delayed death due to heart failure. There was a significant difference in survival according to platelet count (50 × 10⁹/L) (p<0.05). Congenital heart disease and Rota viral infection is associated with NEC in term infants and thrombocytopenia and leucopenia in the course may be surgical indications.
• Keywords: Necrotizing Enterocolitis; Term infant