Neonatal meconium obstruction in the ileum without mucoviscidosis.

Two newborns with intestinal obstruction of the terminal ileum without mucoviscidosis were 
cured by Gastrografin enema. A further case of a premature infant 
showed, at autopsy, a large intestine containing normal meconium, but an 
ileum which was plugged with tenacious meconium containing PAS-positive and alcian 
blue-negative mucus. Our 3 cases were similar to cases of "meconium 
disease" reported by Rickham and of "meconium plug in the small 
intestine" reported by Emery. The primary cause of this disease lies 
in the large amount of PAS-positive mucus secreted from goblet cells 
of the ileal mucosa and the hypertrophy of lymph nodules in 
the ileal submucosa. 