Infantile chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction: the role of small intestinal manometry as a diagnostic tool and prognostic indicator.

BACKGROUND

Chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIIP) presenting in infancy is a rare but serious condition of heterogeneous aetiology often with an uncertain outcome.

AIM

To assess whether intestinal manometry in the first two years of life can help define a neuropathic or myopathic aetiology or clinical outcome, or both, in cases of infantile CIIP.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

14 consecutive children who presented in the first year of life with CIIP were studied histologically and by small intestinal manometry.

RESULTS

Five had a myopathic disorder, four were neuropathic, and five unclassified following histological investigation of full thickness intestinal biopsy specimens. Analysis of fasting phase III activity showed four patterns: (1) (n = 4) no detectable motor activity, (2) (n = 5) low amplitude phase III activity, (3) (n = 3) poorly formed phase III complexes of short duration, (4) (n = 2) well formed cyclical phase III activity with abnormal propagation. The seven children with low amplitude phase III: motility index (MI) < 10 KPa/min, all had a poor outcome (death or dependence on parenteral nutrition) after 1-10 years follow up, compared with two of seven of those with a MI > 10 KPa/min. Of the five with myopathic histology, four had a MI < 10 KPa/min.

CONCLUSION

These results show that small intestinal manometry is useful not only as an aid in diagnosing the aetiology of CIIP presenting in infancy, but also in predicting outcome.