An Unusual Pneumoperitoneum  in an Extremely Low Birth Weight Preterm Newborn

Domenico Umberto De Rose; Valerio Romano; Francesca Priolo; Chiara Zecca; Luca Maggio; Giovanni Vento; Francesca Gallini

doi:10.23750/abm.v92iS1.11090

An Unusual Pneumoperitoneum in an Extremely Low Birth Weight Preterm Newborn

Authors

Domenico Umberto De Rose Neonatology Unit, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome (Italy). and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Medical and Surgical Department of the Fetus, Newborn and Infant, “Bambino Gesù” Children’s Hospital IRCCS, Rome (Italy). https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9076-9838
Valerio Romano Neonatology Unit, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome (Italy).
Francesca Priolo Neonatology Unit, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome (Italy).
Chiara Zecca Neonatology Unit, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome (Italy).
Luca Maggio Neonatology Unit, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome (Italy). and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome (Italy).
Giovanni Vento Neonatology Unit, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome (Italy). and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome (Italy). https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3121-9569
Francesca Gallini Neonatology Unit, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome (Italy). and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome (Italy).

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v92iS1.11090

Keywords:

pneumoperitoneum; preterm infants; laparotomy

Abstract

Pneumoperitoneum (PP) is a radiological diagnosis, characterized by the presence of air under the diaphragm, that in 90% of cases results from a perforated viscus while in 10% of cases it is not associated to perforation, the so-called non-surgical or spontaneous PP. Spontaneous PP is rare at any paediatric and neonatal age. In the neonatal population, sporadic cases of spontaneous PP have been described, almost invariably following mechanical ventilation. We presented the case of an extremely low birth weight infant (ELBW) with spontaneous PP secondary to pneumomediastinum who has never underwent mechanical ventilation or cardiopulmonary resuscitation. (www.actabiomedica.it)

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