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Home > Departments > Pediatric Surgery > Target diseases > duodenal atresia
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This is a congenital condition in which the duodenum is not connected. It can be discovered after birth due to vomiting, but in recent years it has become more common for fetal diagnosis to occur, and treatment plans must be drawn up before birth by obstetrics, neonatology, and pediatric surgery.
The diagnosis can be made by abdominal X-ray, which shows the duodenum greatly dilated and no air in the lower intestine. Sometimes air is present in the lower intestine, and in that case an intestinal contrast test may be performed.
Because the duodenum is not connected, the baby cannot drink milk, so surgery to connect the duodenum is required within a few days of birth.
If the duodenal flow is restored properly, most patients will be able to live without any major problems. However, duodenal atresia can sometimes be accompanied by malformations of the bile duct or pancreatic duct, which can cause problems.
