Gastric outlet obstruction due to an iatrogenic cause in a neonatal period - report of two cases.

Gastric mucosa hyperplasia is a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal obstruction in the neonatal period. One of the etiologic factors of this disorder is prolonged prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) therapy of neonates with congenital cyanotic heart diseases. Continuous PGE1 administration ensures patency of the ductus arteriosus, which is essential for stabilizing the general condition until cardiac surgery can be performed. The clinical symptoms of gastric mucosa foveolar hyperplasia due to long-term PGE1 therapy simulate hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. However, the characteristic ultrasound appearance of both pathologies facilitates determination of the final diagnosis and further treatment. We present two cases of neonates with gastric mucosa and submucosa hyperplasia revealed during ultrasound examination. The results of the ultrasound examination combined with clinical anamnesis allowed diagnosis of gastric mucosa foveolar hyperplasia due to prolonged PGE1 therapy. (c) Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart, New York.