[Meconial disease in a newborn].

A case of meconial disease not associated with mucoviscidosis registered in 0.08% of perinatal autopsies is described in a premature girl who died 46 hours after her birth. Productive exudative meconial peritonitis that had developed due to intestinal wall perforation caused by meconium plug pressure was detected on the section. Microscopically, there were abundant squamous epithelial scales in the fibrinous exudate and commissures, whereas in the submucosal layer of the intestinal wall there were productive aseptic meconial granulomas whose components are squamous epithelial scales in addition to cellular elements. Searches for granulomas are made concurrently with examination of great quantities of histologic sections, but their detection is valuable for differential diagnosis of newborn ulcerous enterocolitis.