Regional Enteritis in Early Infancy

Regional enteritis has rarely been observed in infancy; only six cases have been reported. We treated six infants who presented with symptoms within the first five months of life. Each of the infants developed distal small bowel obstruction which required laparotomy. Four infants had a variable period of weight loss, diarrhea, melena, anemia, and fever, while two others presented with intestinal obstruction after only a brief prodrome. Gross and microscopic findings were consistent with regional enteritis: segmental transmural inflammatory and ulcerative process chiefly involving the terminal ileum. Steroids do not appear to be of definite benefit.