Gastroschisis

The term gastroschisis (belly cleft) was coined in 1894 by Italian pathologist Cesare Taruffi, who used it in Storia della Teratologia to define a variety of congenital malformations in which the abdomen remains open at birth, though the condition had been reported sporadically since 1557. In 1887, William P. Hogue of West Virginia reported the first successful repair by reduction of the viscera and application of plaster strips. The child survived and appeared to have spontaneous closure of the defect by 5 weeks of age. This case provides the first evidence of the hardiness of the infant with gastroschisis, an observation that has been reinforced in the medical literature ever since.