Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0728731 (prematurity)
 7,134 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The authors report 32 cases of neonatal hemorrhagic colitis observed during a 19-mth period in the neonatal unit of the University Medical Center of Caen. Neonatal hemorrhagic colitis is characterized by rectal bleeding alone occurring mostly in premature infants. There are no accompanying clinical, biological or radiological signs of necrotizing enterocolitis. The evolution is always benign without any particular therapy. Prematurity and cesarean section appear to be the most important etiological factors. The pathogenesis is probably multifactorial. The differential diagnosis with necrotizing enterocolitis is difficult in the beginning.
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PMID:[Hemorrhagic colitis in newborn infants. Apropos of 32 cases]. 217 Sep 12

Rectal bleeding in neonates is an alarming event which suggests a possible necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) but is usually the only symptom of an unexplained colitis characterized endoscopically by ecchymotic mucosal lesions, the so-called 'ecchymotic colitis' (EC). We studied histologically and bacteriologically 18 infants (mean age: 18 days) presenting with rectal bleeding by systematic rectosigmoidoscopy and intestinal biopsies. The 18 infants were hospitalized. Prematurity was found in seven cases and an underlying condition in 14 cases (respiratory distress: six cases; infection: six cases; surgery: two cases). Histology showed a mild to moderate inflammation (10/12) of the mucosa with a prevalence of polymorphonuclear cells (8/10), frequent focal haemorrhages (11/12) and foci of pneumatosis (4/12). Numerous bacteria were seen in the mucus layer focally forming large clusters. Cultures of intestinal biopsies yielded exclusively Enterobacteriaceae species: Escherichia coli (seven cases), Klebsiella spp. (seven cases), and Enterobacter cloacae (three cases); four cases were sterile. Our study demonstrates that neonatal bleeding is associated with endoscopic and histological 'ecchymotic colitis' lesions and with a peculiar microbial flora of EBC strains. EC and necrotizing enterocolitis share similar features raising the question of the link between the two syndromes.
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PMID:Histopathology and microbiology of isolated rectal bleeding in neonates: the so-called 'ecchymotic colitis'. 918 69