Early Diagnosis of Atypical Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Infants Using Point-of-Care Liver Ultrasound for
Gaoyang Qin1, Linping Zhong1, Yan Jiang1
1Department of Neonatology, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Objective:
Through two case reports, we demonstrate that bedside liver ultrasound-detected portal venous gas (PVG) serves as an early imaging marker for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants with atypical symptoms.
Case Report:
Bedside hepatic ultrasonography was performed in two preterm infants (24+2 and 31+2 weeks) presenting with atypical symptoms of NEC, revealing multiple hyperechoic foci consistent with PVG. Subsequent abdominal radiography demonstrated extensive pneumatosis intestinalis.
Results:
PVG detection enabled early NEC diagnosis at Bell's stage IIb, facilitating immediate treatment. Both infants achieved full recovery with medical or surgical intervention.
Conclusion:
Point-of-care sonography for PVG provides crucial early warning, guiding timely management and improving outcomes in atypical NEC presentations.
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