Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (797 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Inflammation of the mucosa of both the small intestine and the large intestine. Etiology includes ischemia, infections, allergic, and immune responses.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Enterocolitides.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Gastroenteritis; Intestinal Diseases
- Narrower topics
- Enterocolitis, Necrotizing; Enterocolitis, Neutropenic; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous
Related concepts
- Mucous Membrane
- Small Intestine
- Large Intestine
- Ischemia
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 16,128 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Enterocolitis” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 2,860 of them (17.7%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 5,269 records.
Reviews account for 2,826 records (17.5%) and meta-analyses for 330. Randomized controlled trials number 354 (2.2%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 5,026 |
| 2000-2009 | 2,973 |
| 2010-2019 | 5,269 |
| 2020 onward | 2,860 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 2,826 | 17.5% |
| Meta-analyses | 330 | 2.0% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 354 | 2.2% |
Method: PubMed query "Enterocolitis"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.
Reading the evidence in digestive system and liver
Gut and liver research ranges from laboratory studies of the microbiome to large trials of drugs and surgery. Symptoms such as pain, reflux or bowel change are reported by patients and overlap between conditions, and diet and microbiome studies are mostly observational. Check whether the study measured symptoms, tissue findings or long-term outcomes, how the diagnosis was made and how long people were followed. Nothing here replaces advice from a qualified clinician.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
Necrotizing enterocolitis: current understanding of the prevention and management [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the diseases in neonates, with a high morbidity and mortality rate, especially in preterm infants.
- Closing excerpt
- At the same time, we discussed its clinical application, future development, and shortcomings.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (143 words)
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the diseases in neonates, with a high morbidity and mortality rate, especially in preterm infants. This review aimed to briefly introduce the latest epidemiology, susceptibility factors, and clinical diagnosis and presentation of NEC. We also organized new prevention strategies by risk factors according to different pathogeneses and then discussed new treatment methods based on Bell's staging and complications, and the classification of mild to high severity based on clinical and imaging manifestations. Such a generalization will help clinicians and researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the disease and to conduct more targeted classification, grading prevention, and exploration. We focused on prevention and treatment of the early and suspected stages of NEC, including the discovery of novel biomarkers and drugs to control disease progression. At the same time, we discussed its clinical application, future development, and shortcomings.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 38196049 · DOI · PMC10776729
Immune effector cell-associated enterocolitis following chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- We report 14 cases of immune effector cell (IEC)-associated enterocolitis following chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy in multiple myeloma, with a 1.
- Closing excerpt
- The early use of infliximab or vedolizumab may potentially hasten symptom resolution and lower reliance on high-dose corticosteroids during the post-CAR-T period.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (198 words)
We report 14 cases of immune effector cell (IEC)-associated enterocolitis following chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy in multiple myeloma, with a 1.2% incidence overall (0.2% for idecabtagene vicleucel and 2.2% for ciltacabtagene autoleucel). Patients developed acute-onset symptoms (typically non-bloody Grade 3+ diarrhea) with negative infectious workup beginning a median of 92.5 days (range: 22-210 days) after CAR-T therapy and a median of 85 days after cytokine release syndrome resolution. Gut biopsies uniformly demonstrated inflammation, including intra-epithelial lymphocytosis and villous blunting. In one case where CAR-specific immunofluorescence stains were available, CAR T-cell presence was confirmed within the lamina propria. Systemic corticosteroids were initiated in 10 patients (71%) a median of 25.5 days following symptom onset, with symptom improvement in 40%. Subsequent infliximab or vedolizumab led to improvement in 50% and 33% of corticosteroid-refractory patients, respectively. Five patients (36%) have died from bowel perforation or treatment-emergent sepsis. In conclusion, IEC-associated enterocolitis is a distinct but rare complication of CAR-T therapy typically beginning 1-3 months after infusion. Thorough diagnostic workup is essential, including evaluation for potential T-cell malignancies. The early use of infliximab or vedolizumab may potentially hasten symptom resolution and lower reliance on high-dose corticosteroids during the post-CAR-T period.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 39414769 · DOI · PMC11484697
Bacteroides fragilis alleviates necrotizing enterocolitis through restoring bile acid metabolism balance using bile salt hydrolase and inhibiting FXR-NLRP3 signaling pathway [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in premature infants with no specific treatments available.
- Closing excerpt
- fragilis may substantially alleviate intestinal damage in NEC.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (198 words)
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in premature infants with no specific treatments available. We aimed to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying NEC and investigate the therapeutic effects of Bacteroides fragilis on NEC. Clinical samples of infant feces, bile acid-targeted metabolomics, pathological staining, bioinformatics analysis, NEC rat model, and co-immunoprecipitation were used to explore the pathogenesis of NEC. Taxonomic characterization of the bile salt hydrolase (bsh) gene, enzyme activity assays, 16S rRNA sequencing, and organoids were used to explore the therapeutic effects of B. fragilis on NEC-related intestinal damage. Clinical samples, NEC rat models, and in vitro experiments revealed that total bile acid increased in the blood but decreased in feces. Moreover, the levels of FXR and other bile acid metabolism-related genes were abnormal, resulting in disordered bile acid metabolism in NEC. Taurochenodeoxycholic acid accelerated NEC pathogenesis and taurodeoxycholate alleviated NEC. B. fragilis displayed bsh genes and enzyme activity and alleviated intestinal damage by restoring gut microbiota dysbiosis and bile acid metabolism abnormalities by inhibiting the FXR-NLRP3 signaling pathway. Our results provide valuable insights into the therapeutic role of B. fragilis in NEC. Administering B. fragilis may substantially alleviate intestinal damage in NEC.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 39013030 · DOI · PMC11253882
Emerging role of artificial intelligence in necrotizing enterocolitis and implementation challenges [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains a persistent clinical challenge, with diagnostic strategies largely relying on reactive staging criteria that have not evolved significantly in decades.
- Closing excerpt
- Future translational research must prioritize multicenter validation and algorithmic interpretability to safely integrate these predictive tools into real-time neonatal care.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (258 words)
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains a persistent clinical challenge, with diagnostic strategies largely relying on reactive staging criteria that have not evolved significantly in decades. This commentary synthesizes emerging literature to evaluate the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in shifting NEC management toward predictive precision. We review how ML algorithms are redefining risk stratification by integrating multimodal data. AI demonstrates superior utility in automating radiographic diagnosis, analyzing complex data to identify early disease progression, distinguishing medical from surgical phenotypes and providing objective support for difficult intervention decisions. Despite this promise, clinical translation is currently limited by data heterogeneity, small sample sizes, and the black box nature of complex algorithms. Further, the integration of AI methodologies into the clinical IT ecosystem requires careful planning, to assess how such tools affect clinical workflows, how performance changes over time, when they need to be retrained, changed, or shelved, e.g., ML operations (MLOps). We highlight that realizing AI's potential in the NICU requires a paradigm shift toward multicenter data sharing, the development of explainable AI models, and a rigorous ethical framework to ensure these tools augment rather than obscure clinical judgment. IMPACT: Traditional reliance on Bell's staging for NEC diagnosis is reactive and lacks the specificity required for early intervention. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning offer a transformative approach, demonstrating superior accuracy in risk stratification and surgical prediction by synthesizing complex, multimodal data that elude conventional clinical assessment. Future translational research must prioritize multicenter validation and algorithmic interpretability to safely integrate these predictive tools into real-time neonatal care.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42034914 · DOI · PMC13672108
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Fecal microbiota transplantation for Clostridium difficile infection: systematic review and meta-analysis [5]
- Research article Intestinal dysbiosis in preterm infants preceding necrotizing enterocolitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis [6]
- Research article Probiotics for the prevention of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in adults and children [7]
- Research article Association Between Oxygen Saturation Targeting and Death or Disability in Extremely Preterm Infants in the Neonatal Oxygenation Prospective Meta-analysis Collaboration [8]
- Research article Contemporary Outcomes for Infants with Necrotizing Enterocolitis-A Systematic Review [9]
- Research article Global incidence of Necrotizing Enterocolitis: a systematic review and Meta-analysis [10]
Full-text reviews on EvidenceLib
Open-access review articles about this topic, reproduced in full with authors, licence and references.
Global incidence of Necrotizing Enterocolitis: a systematic review and Meta-analysis
Amer Alsaied, Nazmul Islam, Lukman Thalib · BMC Pediatrics 2020 · CC BY 4.0
Probiotic Supplements Effect on Feeding Tolerance, Growth and Neonatal Morbidity in Extremely Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Sofia Söderquist Kruth, Emma Persad, Alexander Rakow · Nutrients 2025 · CC BY 4.0
References
- Hu X, Liang H, Li F, Zhang R, Zhu Y, Zhu X, et al.. Necrotizing enterocolitis: current understanding of the prevention and management. . 2024. PMID 38196049 · DOI · PMC10776729
- Fortuna GG, Banerjee R, Savid-Frontera C, Song J, Morán-Segura CM, Nguyen JV, et al.. Immune effector cell-associated enterocolitis following chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma. . 2024. PMID 39414769 · DOI · PMC11484697
- Chen Z, Chen H, Huang W, Guo X, Yu L, Shan J, et al.. Bacteroides fragilis alleviates necrotizing enterocolitis through restoring bile acid metabolism balance using bile salt hydrolase and inhibiting FXR-NLRP3 signaling pathway. . 2024. PMID 39013030 · DOI · PMC11253882
- Krishnan P, Gunasekaran V, Hillegass WB, Modave F, Garg PM. Emerging role of artificial intelligence in necrotizing enterocolitis and implementation challenges. . 2026. PMID 42034914 · DOI · PMC13672108
- Kassam Z, Lee CH, Yuan Y, Hunt RH. Fecal microbiota transplantation for Clostridium difficile infection: systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Gastroenterol. 2013. PMID 23511459 · DOI
- Pammi M, Cope J, Tarr PI, Warner BB, Morrow AL, Mai V, et al.. Intestinal dysbiosis in preterm infants preceding necrotizing enterocolitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Microbiome. 2017. PMID 28274256 · DOI · PMC5343300
- Goldenberg JZ, Yap C, Lytvyn L, Lo CK, Beardsley J, Mertz D, et al.. Probiotics for the prevention of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in adults and children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017. PMID 29257353 · DOI · PMC6486212
- Askie LM, Darlow BA, Finer N, Schmidt B, Stenson B, Tarnow-Mordi W, et al.. Association Between Oxygen Saturation Targeting and Death or Disability in Extremely Preterm Infants in the Neonatal Oxygenation Prospective Meta-analysis Collaboration. JAMA. 2018. PMID 29872859 · DOI · PMC6583054
- Jones IH, Hall NJ. Contemporary Outcomes for Infants with Necrotizing Enterocolitis-A Systematic Review. J Pediatr. 2020. PMID 31982088 · DOI
- Alsaied A, Islam N, Thalib L. Global incidence of Necrotizing Enterocolitis: a systematic review and Meta-analysis. BMC Pediatr. 2020. PMID 32660457 · DOI · PMC7359006
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.