Esophageal atresia

Case contributed by Arushi Gupta
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Inability of swallow milk and regurgitation. Failure to pass a nasogastric tube (NGT).

Patient Data

Age: 1 day
Gender: Female

Chest Xray Pre-op

x-ray

There is a dilated lucent blind ending pharyngeal pouch with the inability to pass NGT distally into the stomach suggestive of esophageal atresia.

Stomach and proximal small bowel gas shadows are noted suggestive of a coexisting tracheoesophageal fistula.

Chest xray Post-op

x-ray

Post operative chest radiograph shows passage of NG tube distally, with the tip over the gastric antrum.

Case Discussion

Esophageal atresia can be suspected clinically by inability to swallow milk, regurgitation and aspiration of contents and inability to pass a nasogastric tube (NGT) into the stomach.

On imaging there is evidence of a dilated pharyngeal pouch with coiling of the NGT.

Presence of gas shadows distally in stomach and stomach bowel suggests distal tracheoesophageal fistula.

There are five types of esophageal atresia . The most common type is type C which is accompanied by distal tracheoesophageal fistula as seen in this case.

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