| Meconium peritonitis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| X-ray of a newborn with meconium pseudocyst resulting from bowel perforation. In this case the cause wasatresia of the terminalileum. There is a fine rim of calcification surrounding the bigpseudocyst which shifts the other intestinal structures outwards. | |
| Specialty | Pediatrics  |
Meconium peritonitis refers torupture of thebowel prior to birth, resulting in fetal stool (meconium) escaping into the surrounding space (peritoneum) leading to inflammation (peritonitis). Despite the bowel rupture, many infants born after meconium peritonitisin utero have normal bowels and have no further issues.
Infants withcystic fibrosis are at increased risk for meconium peritonitis.
Twenty percent of infants born with meconium peritonitis will havevomiting and dilated bowels onx-rays which necessitates surgery.[citation needed]
Meconium peritonitis is sometimes diagnosed on prenatalultrasound[1] where it appears as calcifications[2] within the peritoneum.
Adhesiolysispartial resection of pseudocystcovering enterostomy.[citation needed]
Meconium peritonitis was first described in 1838 byCarl von Rokitansky.[citation needed]