[Malignant neoplasms and intestinal obstruction in children 3 to 15 years old].

Observations on one of the rare complications in children presenting malignant neoplasms of the abdominal cavity and retroperitoneal space are described. Over a 7-year period, operative treatment is undertaken in 42 children aged 3 to 15 years. In eleven of them (26.42 per cent) it is a matter of mechanical ileus. The type of bowel obstruction in the series of children under study is a follows: obturation-in three and adhesion-in five cases. The obturation involves the large intestine, and is due to pressure of a neoplastic process in advanced stage of development on the colon. Ileus due to adhesions occurs after operative removal of the neoplastic formation. The essential differences in type of intestinal obstruction in children with malignant neoformation in the abdominal region from the one in adult patients justify the report on the observations.