1/2. The prenatal diagnosis of imperforate anus with rectourinary fistula: dilated fetal colon with enterolithiasis.The finding of extraluminal calcifications is commonly reported and usually indicates intrauterine intestinal perforation with intraperitoneal extravasation of meconium, most often associated with intestinal obstruction and/or atresias. Intraluminal calcification of meconium is more rare and appears to result from the mixing of stagnant urine and meconium in utero. The presence of the intraluminal calcifications in a dilated loop of intestine, particularly with an associated urinary tract abnormality, should suggest a rectourinary fistula. Two cases of prenatally diagnosed imperforate anus with rectourinary fistulae are reported.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = meconium (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/2. Infrared spectrophotometry of intraluminal meconium calculi in a neonate with imperforate anus and rectourethral fistula.BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Intraluminal meconium calculi are a rare cause of neonatal abdominal calcifications in patients with anorectal malformations. To investigate their pathogenesis, we performed infrared spectroscopic analysis of meconium-calcified lesions. methods: meconium calculi were collected from the colostomy in a newborn patient with imperforate anus and rectourethral fistula. The potassium bromide method was employed to obtain the infrared absorption spectrum of the meconium calculi. RESULTS: The wavelength pattern of the meconium calculi exhibited 4 specific peaks at 1570, 1390, 1105, and 1005 cm(-1) between 22% and 45% transmittance values. The unique absorption spectrum exclusively indicated ammonium hydrogen urate (C(5)N(5)O(3)H(7)), having the combined constituents of ammonium and uric acid. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the intraluminal meconium calculi were originally derived from meconium and fetal urine. The stasis of meconium passage and fetal urine mixing through the rectourethral fistula in a low-pH condition was deduced to be the main cause of this rare stone formation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3.6666666666667keywords = meconium (Clic here for more details about this article) |