title: Challenging diagnosis between intussusception and necrotizing enterocolitis in premature infants.
abstract: Although necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a frequently encountered entity in premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit, intussusception is extremely rare. Abdominal distension, bilious/non-bilious gastric residuals and bloody stool are the common clinical findings of both entities. Here we present three cases of intussusception misdiagnosed as NEC, two of which were complicated with intestinal perforation. Similar clinical findings of NEC and intussusception leads to misdiagnosis and delay in treatment, particularly in premature infants with intussusception.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, School of Medicine, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taşkınlar
authors.forename: Gökhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gündoğdu
authors.forename: Yalçın
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Dinçer
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Avlan
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naycı
mesh_terms: D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007443:Intussusception / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: intestinal perforation; intussusception; necrotizing enterocolitis; newborn; prematurity