©Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. No commercial re-use. See Permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Clin Pediatr. Mar 9, 2026; 15(1): 114242
Published online Mar 9, 2026. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i1.114242
Published online Mar 9, 2026. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i1.114242
Not all that drains is gut - umbilical venous catheter extravasation masquerading as intestinal perforation: A case report
Ayush Kumar, Sanju Sidaraddi, Prashali Patil, Amit Padmakar Ghawade, Prashant Moralwar, Anish Pillai, Department of Neonatology and Pediatrics, Motherhood Hospital, Navi Mumbai 410210, Maharashtra, India
Anish Pillai, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Vancouver, Canada
Author contributions: Pillai A and Kumar A conceptualized the work; Sidaraddi S, Kumar A, and Pillai A did the literature review and prepared the initial manuscript draft; Ghawade AP and Moralwar P edited the figures and prepared the discussion; Moralwar P and Pillai A supervised the work and made critical revisions; Anish P, Ghawade AP, and Moralwar P summarized the data; all authors reviewed the manuscript and approved the submitted version.
Informed consent statement: The legal guardian (mother), provided informed written consent for publishing the case report.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Anish Pillai, MD, Consultant, Head, Department of Neonatology and Pediatrics, Motherhood Hospital, Fountain Square Building, Sector 7, Navi Mumbai 410210, Maharashtra, India. anishgp1@yahoo.co.in
Received: September 16, 2025
Revised: October 14, 2025
Accepted: December 2, 2025
Published online: March 9, 2026
Processing time: 171 Days and 14.9 Hours
Revised: October 14, 2025
Accepted: December 2, 2025
Published online: March 9, 2026
Processing time: 171 Days and 14.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: We describe the first case of umbilical venous catheterization extravasation masquerading as high-output peritoneal drainage in the context of spontaneous intestinal perforation. Unlike typical presentations of abdominal distension or metabolic derangements, our patient exhibited persistently clear drain output, delaying diagnosis. Radiographic confirmation and prompt catheter removal led to rapid recovery. This case underscores the need for vigilance, early imaging, and multidisciplinary collaboration when managing unexplained peritoneal drainage in preterm infants with central lines.