[Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Observations of 21 cases studied from 1977 to 1980].

We have carried out a study together with neonatologists, paediatricians, paediatric surgeons and paediatric radiologist on the etiopathogenic, clinical-statistical, therapeutical and evolutionary aspects of NEC during the period from 1977 to 1980 in the Neonatology Clinic and in the Paediatric Surgery Department University of Bologna. The most important data were as follows: a high percentage of full-term newborns, the apparently unfavourable action of artificial feeding, a little amount of infectious etiology, an absence of predisposing factors in more than half the cases, an uniform symptomatology in a lot of patients with adverse evolution in the cases of secondary colic stenosis. The mortality was 33 percent, specially among the small for gestational age infants. The surgical therapy during four years period was modified technically, i.e. there was an orientation towards conservative surgery. The final surgical operation has recently been made right after the fourth month from the acute crisis as it has recently been demonstrated that secondary stenosis always occurs during this period of time. Long - term follow - ups showed: completely satisfactory progress in patients treated only with medical therapy, particularly unfavourable evolution in patients after a more demolishing - type of operation (resectioning of the last ansa of ileum and ileum - caecum valve), considerable improvement in auxological and nutritional parameters also in the latter cases after the final surgical operation.