Find information on thousands of medical conditions and prescription drugs.

Esophageal atresia

Esophageal atresia is a congenital medical condition (birth defect) which affects the alimentary tract. It causes the esophagus to end in a blind-ended pouch rather than connecting normally to the stomach. It occurs in approximately 1 in 4425 live births. more...

Home
Diseases
A
B
C
D
E
Ebola hemorrhagic fever
Ebstein's anomaly
Eclampsia
Ectodermal Dysplasia
Ectopic pregnancy
Ectrodactyly
Edwards syndrome
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Ehrlichiosis
Eisoptrophobia
Elective mutism
Electrophobia
Elephantiasis
Ellis-Van Creveld syndrome
Emetophobia
Emphysema
Encephalitis
Encephalitis lethargica
Encephalocele
Encephalomyelitis
Encephalomyelitis, Myalgic
Endocarditis
Endocarditis, infective
Endometriosis
Endomyocardial fibrosis
Enetophobia
Enterobiasis
Eosinophilia-myalgia...
Eosinophilic fasciitis
Eosophobia
Ependymoma
Epicondylitis
Epidermolysis bullosa
Epidermolytic hyperkeratosis
Epididymitis
Epilepsy
Epiphyseal stippling...
Epistaxiophobia
EPP (erythropoietic...
Epstein barr virus...
Equinophobia
Ergophobia
Erysipelas
Erythema multiforme
Erythermalgia
Erythroblastopenia
Erythromelalgia
Erythroplakia
Erythropoietic...
Esophageal atresia
Esophageal varices
Esotropia
Essential hypertension
Essential thrombocythemia
Essential thrombocytopenia
Essential thrombocytosis
Euphobia
Evan's syndrome
Ewing's Sarcoma
Exencephaly
Exophthalmos
Exostoses
Exploding head syndrome
Hereditary Multiple...
Hereditary Multiple...
Hereditary Multiple...
Hereditary Multiple...
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Medicines

This condition takes several different forms, often involving one or more fistulas connecting the trachea to the esophagus (tracheoesophageal fistula). Approximately 85% of affected babies will have a 'lower fistula'.

This birth defect arises in the fourth fetal week, when the trachea and esophagus should begin to separate from each other. Other birth defects may co-exist, particularly in the heart, but sometimes also in the anus, spinal column, or kidneys.

This condition is visible some time shortly before birth on an ultrasound, or it may be detected soon after birth as the affected infant will be unable to swallow its own saliva. Any attempt at feeding could cause aspiration pneumonia as the milk collects in the blind pouch and overflows into the trachea and lungs. Furthermore, a fistula between the lower esophagus and trachea may allow stomach acid to flow into the lungs and cause damage. Because of these dangers, the condition must be treated as soon as possible after birth.

Treatments for the condition vary depending on its severity. The most immediate and effective treatment in the majority of cases is a surgical repair to close the fistula/s and reconnect the two ends of the esophagus to each other. This is not possible in all cases, since the gap between upper and lower esophageal segments may be too long to bridge. In this situation, a gastrostomy is performed, allowing tube feedings into the stomach through the abdominal wall, and often a cervical esophagostomy will also be done, to allow the saliva which is swallowed to drain out a hole in the neck. Months or years later, the esophagus may be repaired, sometimes by using a segment of bowel brought up into the chest, interposing between the upper and lower segments of esophagus.

Post operative complications sometimes arise, including a leak at the site of closure of the esophagus. Sometimes a stricture, or tight spot, will develop in the esophagus, making it difficult to swallow. This can usually be dilated using medical instruments. In later life, most children with this disorder will have some trouble with either swallowing or heartburn or both.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]


Esophageal atresia
From Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 4/6/01 by J. Ricker Polsdorfer

Definition

Esophageal atresia is a serious birth defect in which the esophagus, the long tube that connects the mouth to the stomach, is segmented and closed off at any point. This condition usually occurs with tracheoesophageal fistula, a condition in which the esophagus is improperly attached to the trachea, the nearby tube that connects the nasal area to the lungs. Esophageal atresia occurs in approximately 1 in 4,000 live births.

Description

Failure of an unborn child (fetus) to develop properly results in birth defects. Many of these defects involve organs that do not function, or function only incidentally, before birth, and, as a result, go undetected until the baby is born. In this case, the digestive tract is unnecessary for fetal growth, since all nutrition comes from the mother through the placenta and umbilical cord.

During fetal development, the esophagus and the trachea arise from the same original tissue. Normally, the two tubes would form separately (differentiate); however, in cases of esphageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistulas, they do not, resulting in various malformed configurations. The most common configuration is the "C" type, in which the upper part of the esophagus abruptly ends in a blind pouch, while the lower part attaches itself to the trachea. This configuration occurs in 85-90% of cases. Esophageal atresia without involvement of the trachea occurs in only 8% of cases.

Causes & symptoms

The cause of esophageal atresia, like that of most birth defects, is unknown.

An infant born with this defect will at first appear all right, swallowing normally. However, the blind pouch will begin to fill with mucus and saliva that would normally pass through the esophagus to the stomach. These secretions back up into the mouth and nasal area, causing the baby to drool excessively. When fed, the baby will also immediately regurgitate what he or she has eaten. Choking and coughing may also occur as the baby breaths in the fluid backing up from the esophagus. Aspiration pneumonia, an infection of the respiratory system caused by inhalation of the contents of the digestive tract, may also develop.

Diagnosis

Physicians who suspect esophageal atresia after being presented with the above symptoms diagnose the condition using x-ray imaging or by passing a catheter through the nose and into the esophagus. Esophageal atresia is indicated if the catheter hits an obstruction 4-5 in (10-13 cm) from the nostrils.

Treatment

Infants with esophageal atresia are unlikely to survive without surgery to reconnect the esophagus. The procedure is done as soon as possible; however, prematurity, the presence of other birth defects, or complications of apiration pneumonia may delay surgery. Once diagnosed, the baby will be fed intraveneously until he or she has recovered sufficiently from the operation. Mucus and saliva will also be continuously removed via a catheter until recovery has occured. When surgery is performed, the esophagus is reconnected and, if neccessary, separated from the trachea. If the two ends of the esophagus are too far apart to be reattached, tissue from the large intestine is used to join them.

Prognosis

Surgery to correct esophageal atresia is usually successful. Post-operative complications may include difficulty swallowing, since the esophagus may not contract efficiently, and gastrointestinal reflux, in which the acidic contents of stomach back up into the lower part of the esophagus, possibly causing ulcers.

Key Terms

Fetal
Refers to the fetus, also known in the first two months after conception as an embryo.
Fistula
Unnatural connection between two hollow organs or one organ and the outside.

Further Reading

For Your Information

    Books

  • "Atresia and Tracheoesophageal Fistula." Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, edited by Waldo E. Nelson, et al. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders, 1996.
  • Long, John D., and Roy Orlando. "Anatomy and Development and Acquired Anomalies of the Esophagus." Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease, edited by Mark Feldman, et al. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders, 1998.

Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Gale Research, 1999.

Return to Esophageal atresia
Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay