[Intestinal malrotation in children].

Intestinal malrotation has received, so far, little attention in the Spanish medical literature. This is probably due to the fact that is variable forms of clinical presentation may be overlooked during infancy and childhood and be present or not later in adult life. This is a report on 33 patients between 1 week and 8 years old operated upon, from 1965 to 1985, at the Clinica Infantil "La Paz", Madrid, with pre or postoperative diagnoses of intestinal malrotation (patients with Bochdalek's hernia, omphalocele and gastrosschisis are excluded). Midgut volvulus has been the most frequent preoperative complication and has occurred in 50% of patients. Intestinal obstruction was the most frequent clinical presentation, specially in patients under one week of age. There was a 30% figure of associated malformations, mostly of the duodenojejunal area (atresia, diaphragm, anular pancreas). All 5 deceased patients had other associated malformations. Long term survival was 85%.