Congenital segmental dilatation of the intestine: an in-depth review

Congenital segmental dilatation of the intestine (CSDI) is a rare gastrointestinal condition. We conducted a scoping review through MEDLINE and Google Scholar, collecting data from 1959 through August 2020 to better understand this peculiar disease.

The clinical and pathological features of 150 patients were reviewed.

The mean age was 25.9 days, and 61.3% of patients were male. An antenatal diagnosis was made in 15.3% of patients. Predominant symptoms included abdominal distension (83.9%) and vomiting (61.3%). Pallor and anemia were associated with ileal CSDI. The most common sites of the lesion were the ileum (56%) and colon (27.3%). Associated anomalies occurred in 57.3% of the patients, of which the most common included other abnormalities of the digestive system (69.8%), abdominal wall (19.8%), and cardiovascular system (11.6%). Resection and anastomosis was performed in 83.3% of patients. Postoperative complications occurred in 10%. Normal ganglion cells were commonly found (97.3%), while muscle layer hypertrophy and atrophy were found in 14.7% and 13.3% of the patients, respectively. Abnormal interstitial cells of Cajal were identified in four patients. Death occurred in 12.7% of patients. Demise was significantly associated with the duodenal location of CSDI (Mantel-Cox test, p = 0.002).

CSDI remains poorly understood, and mortality is associated chiefly with its duodenal location. Further research is needed, and biorepositories should be promptly set up to study this disease in the future better.