Spontaneous gastric perforation in a newborn: About a case

Spontaneous neonatal gastric perforation is rare. We report a case of a newborn from a pregnancy and birth with no complications, who presented on day 5 of life with sudden severe abdominal distension, and subsequently bilious vomiting. The radiography of the abdomen without preparation showed a massive pneumoperitoneum. The CT scan showed a pneumoperitoneum more accentuated at the supra-mesocolic level with a defect in the anterior wall of the stomach. The laparotomy found a perforation in the anterior gastric wall, which was sutured in one plane. The postoperative course was simple. The evolution of spontaneous gastric perforations in newborns is usually favorable. The key to avoiding complications is obviously to make a good diagnosis and perform the correct surgical treatment as soon as possible.