title: Experience with meconium peritonitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Meconium peritonitis is a sterile chemical peritonitis resulting from intrauterine bowel perforation. With the development of neonatal care, the prognosis of meconium peritonitis improved much. We report our clinical experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of patients with meconium peritonitis admitted to the Asan Medical Center from June 1989 to July 2006 were retrospectively reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 41 patients (17 males, 24 females), 38 (92.7%) were suspected to suffer from meconium peritonitis prenatally, at a median gestational age of 32 weeks (range, 21-40 weeks). The most common prenatal sonographic finding was fetal ascites followed by dilated bowel. Ten patients were managed conservatively, but 31 patients underwent operations including resection and anastomosis (22), drainage procedure (4), ileostomy (3) and primary repair (2). The operative 31 cases comprised generalized (16), fibroadhesive (10), and cystic types (5). The main causes were intestinal atresia and idiopathic bowel perforation. The mortality rate was 2.4%, and the morbidity rate was 34.1%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Good survival rate was achieved. But there was rather high morbidity. More gentle and delicate approach should be done to lower the morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine and Asan Medical Center, Seoul 138-736, South Korea.
authors.forename: So Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Seong Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae Yeon
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ai Rhan
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ki Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soo Yung
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Pi
authors.forename: Hye Sung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Won
authors.forename: In Koo
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008470:Meconium; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography