User:Mr. Ibrahem/Intestinal atresia

Intestinal atresia
Other names	Bowel atresia
Radiograph with double bubble sign indicating duodenal atresia
Specialty	General surgery
Symptoms	Vomiting bile, abdominal bloating, failure to pass meconium
Complications	JIA: Short gut syndrome DA: Hirschsprung disease
Usual onset	Present at birth
Types	Duodenal, jejunoileal, colonic
Risk factors	JIA: Gastroschisis, cystic fibrosis DA: Down syndrome
Diagnostic method	Before birth: Ultrasound After birth: X-ray
Differential diagnosis	Intestinal malrotation, volvulus, Hirschsprung disease
Treatment	Nasogastric tube, intravenous fluids, surgery
Prognosis	90% survival
Frequency	1 in 3,000 newborns

Intestinal atresia is a birth defect of the intestines that causes bowel obstruction in the newborn. There are three types duodenal (DA), jejunoileal (JIA), and colonic (CA). Symptoms may include vomiting bile, abdominal bloating, and failure to pass meconium. Complications of JIA may include short gut syndrome while complications of DA may include Hirschsprung disease.

Risk factors for JIA include gastroschisis and cystic fibrosis while risk factors for DA include Down syndrome. Diagnosis may occur by ultrasound before birth and X-ray after birth. Other conditions that may present similarly include intestinal malrotation including volvulus, and Hirschsprung disease.

Initial treatment involves nasogastric tube placement and intravenous fluids. This is than followed by surgery and in JIA parenteral nutrition is often required until intestinal function has improved. Procedurals to lengthen the intestines or small bowel transplant may occasionally be required. The risk of death in DA is about 5% while that in CA is about 25%.

Jejunoileal atresia affects between 1 to 3 in 10,000, while duodenal atresia affects about 1 in 10,000, and colonic atresia affects about 1 in 35,000 newborns. The condition is the cause of about a third of cases of bowel obstruction in newborns. It was first described in 1684 by Goeller.