Small intestinal atresia

The small intestinal atresia describes a developmental disorder of the small intestine. The lumen of the jejunum or ileum is not continuous due to the absence of a portion of the intestines or a membrane that bulges into the intestine like a bag.

Increased abundance has been reported in Spain and Latin America.

The first symptoms are similar to the signs of intestinal obstruction. The children have a bloating belly and they only excrete slightly to no meconium. This is followed by severe vomiting, which becomes bilious and in some cases even stooly. The higher the stenosis is located, the sooner the vomiting starts. If the small bowel atresia is diagnosed too late, it can lead to a perforation of the small intestine. The result is severe inflammation in the abdomen.

Depending on the developmental disorder, the small intestinal atresia is divided into 5 different forms:

Type I - protrusion of the membrane

Type II - Blind ends connected to a connective tissue band

Type IIIa - Blind ends, no connection

Type IIIb - Apple peel deformity

Type IV - there are several atresias in a row

The cause is usually intrauterine in a so-called vascular incident justified. Due to a blood clot, part of the small intestine is no longer supplied with sufficient blood. What would cause intestinal infarction in older children and adults is intrauterine in unborn children and is often diagnosed only after birth.