Intestinal obstruction in the newborn with congenital syphilis

Four newborn patients with congenital syphilis and intestinal obstruction are discussed in this report. In three cases, the obstruction was due to inspissated meconium, simulating the features of meconium ileus in one, meconium plug in the second, and associated with perforation of the terminal ileum in the third. An exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and a motility disturbance of the intestine due to syphilitic infection during fetal life could be the probable etiologic factor. The fourth patient had multiple ileal stenoses. Ischemia due to the prenatal syphilitic arteritis of the bowel wall can be responsible for this pathology. Attention is drawn to the association between congenital syphilis and neonatal intestinal obstruction.