Congenital Anomalies of the Esophagus

Explanation

The classic triad of excessive salivation, respiratory distress with feeding, and an inability to pass a gastric tube is pathognomonic for esophageal atresia (EA). The gasless abdomen on X-ray indicates there is no connection between the trachea and the distal esophagus, which initially seems to point toward isolated EA (type A). However, isolated EA is less common (4.3% in the research cohort). The MOST COMMON type (86% in the research) is Gross type C, EA with a distal TEF. The gasless abdomen can be present initially if the fistula is very small or plugged with mucus. The clinical scenario of a newborn with these findings is overwhelmingly more likely to be the most prevalent type, type C.