title: Balloon catheter dilatation of focal intestinal strictures following necrotizing enterocolitis.
abstract: Dilatation with a balloon catheter was successfully employed for 9 focal intestinal strictures which occurred in 5 infants following necrotizing enterocolitis. Eight of the 9 strictures were located in defunctionalized colon distal to an enterostomy; no infant had clinical intestinal obstruction. Because the dilatation achieved distal patency, subsequent closure of the enterostomy was accomplished without a formal laparotomy. The balloon dilatation technique may be valuable in the management of focal strictures that are not causing clinical intestinal obstruction.
mesh_terms: D002404:Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation; D004106:Dilatation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000150:complications*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011859:Radiography