Neonatal Intramural Calcification in Jejunal Atresia: Case Report of a Rare Phenomenon

Intramural calcification in intestinal atresia is a rare type of intra-abdominal calcification. The exact etiology of intramural calcification remains obscure. A 1-day-old newborn male baby presented with signs of intestinal obstruction and was diagnosed to have jejunal atresia. The newborn underwent laparotomy with resection of atretic and dilated part of the small bowel. Histology of atretic part of jejunum and adjacent area revealed intramural calcification with extensive foreign-body giant cell reaction. This appears to be the first time that intramural calcification has been documented in association with extensive foreign-body giant cell reaction in a case of jejunal atresia. It can be hypothesized that vascular insult is the initiating event. The further consequences could be multifactorial. This could be the reason for the variation in the site of calcific deposits. Intramural calcification with extensive foreign-body giant cell reaction is a rare phenomenon and calls for focused studies aiming at elucidating the exact etiopathogenesis of intramural calcification.