Portal venous gas by ultrasound in advance of impending necrotizing enterocolitis of a very low birth weight infant.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious complication of premature infants, portal venous gas (PVG) under X-ray, and ultrasound is a typical manifestation of this disease. We report a case of a very low birth weight (VLBW) infant with PVG unexpectedly detected by ultrasound before the onset of NEC. After positive ultrasound result, clinical manifestations, X-ray, and lab tests confirmed the diagnosis of NEC. This is the first report of a similar case, demonstrating the value of ultrasonography in prediction or early diagnosis of NEC, which may change our understanding of the disease and the timing of examination.