II. History

  1. Prenatal polyhydramnios in Duodenal Atresia
    1. Distal Intestine blocked from amniotic fluid absorption

III. Signs

  1. Duodenal Atresia
    1. Bilious Emesis
    2. Absent Abdominal Distention
    3. Typically presents early, while in newborn nursery
  2. Distal Small Bowel atresia (jejunum, ileum)
    1. Symptom onset delayed 12 to 24 hours after first feeding
    2. Bilious Emesis
    3. Abdominal Distention
    4. No meconium passage in first 24 hours in 80% of children

IV. Differential Diagnosis

  1. Bilious Emesis and/or delayed meconium passage
    1. Hirschprung Disease
    2. Meconium Ileus (Cystic Fibrosis)
    3. Malrotation with Volvulus

V. Imaging

  1. Abdominal XRay
    1. Double Bubble Sign in Duodenal Atresia (large Stomach air filled bubble, smaller duodenal air filled bubble)
    2. Double-Bubble is also seen in Midgut Volvulus
  2. Water soluble enemas
    1. Differentiates atresia from meconium ileus and Hirschprung Disease
    2. Colon contracted in Intestinal Atresia (obstruction prior to ileocecal valve)
  3. Abdominal Ultrasound
    1. Differentiates atresia from meconium ileus and Intestinal Malrotation

VI. References

  1. Jones (2022) Crit Dec Emerg Med 36(2): 14-5

Images: Related links to external sites (from Bing)

Related Studies

Ontology: Atresia of small intestine (C0266172)

Definition (NCI) A congenital malformation characterized by the absence of a normal opening in a part of the small intestine.
Concepts Congenital Abnormality (T019)
MSH C538260
SnomedCT 204694005, 204692009, 84296002
English Atresia of small intest.unsp., Atresia of small intestine, unspecified, Small intestine atresia NOS, atresia of small intestine, atresia of small intestine (diagnosis), Congenital small intestinal atresia, Small intestine atresia, Congenital atresia of the small intestine, Atresia of small intestine, Atresia of the Small Intestine, Small Intestine Atresia, Small intestine atresia NOS (disorder), Atresia of small intestine, unspecified (disorder), Congenital Small Intestine Atresia, Atresia of Small Intestine, Congenital atresia of small intestine, Congenital atresia of small intestine (disorder)
Italian Atresia congenita dell'intestino tenue
Japanese 先天性小腸閉鎖, センテンセイショウチョウヘイサ
Spanish atresia congénita del intestino delgado, atresia del intestino delgado, no especificada (trastorno), atresia del intestino delgado, no especificada, atresia del intestino delgado, SAI, atresia del intestino delgado, SAI (trastorno), Atresia congénita del intestino delgado, atresia congénita del intestino delgado (trastorno), atresia del intestino delgado (trastorno), atresia del intestino delgado
Czech Vrozená atrézie tenkého střeva
Hungarian Veleszületett vékonybél atresia
Portuguese Atresia congénita do intestino delgado
Dutch dunne darmatresie, congenitaal
French Atrésie congénitale de l'intestin grêle
German kongenitale Atresie des Duenndarms

Ontology: Duodenal atresia (C0266174)

Definition (NCI) A congenital malformation characterized by the absence of a normal opening in a part of the duodenum.
Concepts Congenital Abnormality (T019)
MSH C535720
SnomedCT 51118003
Italian Atresia del duodeno, Atresia duodenale congenita
Dutch congenitale duodenale atresie, atresie; duodenum, duodenum; atresie, duodenale atresie
French Atrésie duodénale congénitale, Atrésie duodénale
German Duodenalatresie, kongenital, Duodenalatresie
Portuguese Atresia duodenal congénita, Atresia duodenal
Spanish Atresia duodenal congénita, atresia congénita de duodeno, atresia duodenal, Atresia duodenal, atresia congénita de duodeno (trastorno), atresia de duodeno (trastorno), atresia de duodeno
Japanese 十二指腸閉鎖, 先天性十二指腸閉鎖, センテンセイジュウニシチョウヘイサ, ジュウニシチョウヘイサ
English DUODENAL ATRESIA, atresia of duodenum (diagnosis), atresia of duodenum, Duodenal atresia congenital, duodenal atresia, Duodenal atresia, atresia duodenal, Duodenal Atresia, Atresia of Duodenum, Congenital Atresia of Duodenum, Congenital Duodenal Atresia, Congenital atresia of duodenum, Atresia of duodenum, Congenital atresia of duodenum (disorder), atresia; duodenum, duodenum; atresia
Czech Atrézie dvanáctníku, Kongenitální atrézie dvanáctníku
Hungarian Duodenum atresia, Veleszületett duodenalis atresia