Wilson-Mikity respiratory distress syndrome.

In 1960 Wilson and Mikity described a new form of respiratory disease in seven premature infants. In these infants the disease developed insidiously a few days or a few weeks after birth and was characterized by marked cyanosis, tachypnoea, exertional dyspnoea, wheezing, and coughing. All patients showed distinctive radiological changes. Clinical recovery always preceded resolution of the radiological changes, sometimes by several months. Since the original report from the United States of America, additional cases have been reported from Europe and other parts of the North American Continent, and a total of 32 cases has been reported to date. This report describes two premature infants born at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, who showed findings typical of the syndrome described by Wilson and Mikity. The second case showed features that hitherto have not been recorded.