[Intrauterine necrotizing enterocolitis in premature newborns]

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe disorder associated with increased morbidity and mortality when found in premature infants. This report is about two cases of NEC initiated in utero but without a prior knowledge to neither parents nor health professionals. Both cases had similar courses postnatally, which included abdominal distension and nutritional problems. The surgical findings: case I was a classical NEC in 20-25 cm of distal ileum, and case II was a 1.5-cm necrosis with perforation in proximal ileum. The proposed aetiology was somehow dissimilar in the two cases, which led to the suggestion that the cases represented two various disease entities.