Chronic Idiopathic Intestinal Pseudoobstruction - Neuropathic Pseudoobstruction

Chronic Idiopathic Intestinal Pseudoobstruction

A commonly misdiagnosed disease in infants and children.

Chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction is an increasingly recognized syndrome in which patients usually present with an acute or chronic history suggestive of intestinal obstruction, although no obstructing lesion is found at surgery.

Intestinal pseudoobstruction is a digestive disorder that may be present at birth. The intestinal walls are unable to contract normally (hypomotility) to generate wave-like (peristaltic) motion. This condition resembles a true obstruction, but no such blockage exists.

There are two kinds of Intestinal pseudoobstruction, depending on the source of the failure of the gastrointestinal tract, neuropathic pseudoobstruction. and myopathic pseudoobstruction

Neuropathic Pseudoobstruction

If the problem is abnormal functioning of the nerves of the abdominal wall leading to non-synchronized contractions, then the episode is classified as neurogenic and the disorder is known as neuropathic pseudoobstruction.

Myopathic Pseudoobstruction

If the functional failure can be traced to weak or absent contractions of the muscle itself, then it is classified as myogenic and the disorder is known as myopathic pseudoobstruction.

Symptoms:

Abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, malabsorption of nutrients leading to weight loss and/or failure to thrive, are signal signs. Enlargement of various parts of the small intestine or bowel also occur.

Treatment:

Clinical testing has shown Erythromycin is effective for acute episodes of ileus and chronic symptoms in some patients with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction.