title: Spontaneous neonatal gastric perforation.
abstract: Over a 7-year period (1990-1997) spontaneous gastric perforation was diagnosed in five neonates. The mean gestational age and birth weight were 33/40 weeks and 1.83 kg, respectively. All patients presented with severe abdominal distention and frank pneumoperitoneum on roentgenograms. All perforations were on the anterior wall of the greater curvature and were managed by prompt laparotomy and primary closure of the perforation. No gastrostomy was used, however, peritoneal drainage was used in all cases. There was no mortality or morbidity. An attempt to understand the possible etiology together with a review of the literature is presented.
authors.affiliation: Division of Paediatric Surgery, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Akram J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Jawad
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Rabie
authors.forename: Anjum
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hadi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Sowailem
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Rawaf
authors.forename: Bashar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abu-Touk
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Al-Karfi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Sammarai
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D013275:Stomach Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery