[Meconium peritonitis. The value of prenatal diagnosis]

Over an eight year period (1980-1987), fifteen cases of meconium peritonitis have been studied. As it has been reported, this pathology is still very rare. Ten pregnancies have been followed on by multiple échographies and the prenatal diagnosis of meconium peritonitis, suspected as early as 24 weeks of amenorrhea, has been established in ten cases. Among these, eight infants have been operated on before twelve hours of life, and for the ninth, surgical treatment was not advocated. The most frequent cause of the pathology is a perforation above a bowel obstruction. Two had cystic fibrosis. Of the 15 infants with meconium peritonitis, nine survived, and among these, one with cystic fibrosis and the one that has not been operated. Prenatal diagnosis in meconium peritonitis is of major interest in taking care early infants that will need an urgent surgical operation in most cases.