Mucormycosis of the neonatal gut: a "new" disease or a variant of necrotizing enterocolitis?

Mucormycosis is an opportunistic infection that has been mainly described in adults with preexisting disease affecting immune status, eg, diabetes, leukemia, lymphoma, and renal failure on peritoneal dialysis. Few cases have been described in neonates. The presentation of mucormycosis as a cause of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis is an unusual phenomenon. Three fatal cases of mucormycosis of the gut in premature infants in the period 1990 to 1991 are described. It is not clear whether this should be considered a separate disease or a variant of necrotizing enterocolitis. All three patients died soon after laparotomy from septic shock and the histological diagnosis of mucormycosis was made too late for effective chemotherapy.

Mean organ weights of an Australian population of fetuses and infants.

Charts of organ weights for an Australian population of fetuses and infants are presented. The organ-weight charts were compiled from 1337 stillbirths and liveborn babies whose gestational age ranged from 20 to 43 weeks, and who lived less than 72 h. Macerated stillbirths, multiple births and malformed organs were excluded. Pathological conditions aside from malformations were not excluded, leading to higher standard deviations compared with currently used charts. The organ weights are presented in two-week increments from 20 to 43 weeks' gestation as means, with standard deviations.