Gastrointestinal manometry findings in a case with dilated small bowel and disturbed transit treated successfully with bowel plication.

We report the manometric findings in a case of dilated small bowel and disturbed transit successfully treated with plication of the dilated small bowel. The female newborn infant required total parenteral nutrition following an operation for small bowel atresia. X-ray showed a dilated proximal small bowel. Jejunal manometry showed normal phase 3 migration but persistently low-amplitude contractions in the dilated segment. After plication of the dilated intestine, symptoms of bowel obstruction disappeared. A second manometry two weeks after the operation showed contractions with normal amplitude. These findings indicate that: (1) disturbed transit in the dilated intestine proximal to small intestinal atresia is associated with persistently low contraction amplitude, and (2) the amplitude can be increased by the plication of the dilated loop.