This one-day-old female weighing 2.5 kg was born with her stomach,
entire small intestines and large intestine upto the sigmoid colon
spontaneously eviscerated
(Fig.
1) through a defect in the abdominal well immediately to the right of
a normally inserted umbilical cord (Fig. 2). No sac was
visible.
 |
 |
Fig. 1. Spontaneous eviscerated gut in the baby since
birth.
|
Fig. 2. Defect in the abdominal wall immediately
to the right of a normally inserted umbilical
cord. |
Clinically, gastroschisis and a ruptured exomphalos major (omphalocele)
have similar presentations, but in the latter case the remnants of the
ruptured sac can be identified and, frequently, a portion of the liver
forms a part of the eviscerated con- tents of the abdomen which makes
primary closure difficult. Gastroschisis is known to be associated
with anomalies of rotation of gut and intestinal atresias.
H. K. Borah,
Pediatric Surgeon,
South Sarania,
Guwahati -781 007, India.
