SPONTANEOUS PERFORATION OF THE INTESTINE IN PREMATURELY BORN CHILDREN
Intestinal perforation is the most frequent ca- Perforation of the intestine is the most frequent reason for abdominal troubles in premature infants. Etiology of neonatal perforation of the intestinal tube is usually associated with the necrotic enterocolitis (NEC). However, the other reason for pneumoperitoneum in premature and mature newborns is an isolated perforation of the intestine (IPI) which is also known as the spontaneous perforation of the intestine (SPI). The study presents new modern data which confirm the results from many research papers and demonstrate the changes that occurred recently and affected various aspects of the SPI concerning its epidemiology, prevention, treatment and outcome prediction. In the present study we strived to present new knowledge of spontaneous perforation of the intestine, familiarize readers with novel surgical techniques and raise issues of treatment of the disease that remained unclear till now.