Archives of Disease in Childhood, Vol 64, 1427-1430, Copyright © 1989 by Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Spinal deformity in patients born with oesophageal atresia and tracheo- oesophageal fistula
P Chetcuti, DR Dickens and PD Phelan
Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Australia.
Spinal deformity was present in 58 (19%) of 302 patients born with
oesophageal atresia and fistula when examined at review. This was present
in 24 (47%) of 51 patients with vertebral anomalies and 34 (14%) of 251
patients with normal vertebrae. Scoliosis was present in 21 patients with
vertebral anomalies, torticollis in two, and lordosis in one. Two thirds of
the patients with congenital scoliosis have had or are likely to require
operation, compared with five patients with non-congenital scoliosis.
Scoliosis associated with mixed vertebral anomalies in the lower thoracic
spine had the worst prognosis. The medical records of a further 64 patients
who had survived operation but who could not be traced were reviewed, and
indicated that four had had congenital vertebral anomalies but none had a
spinal deformity. We recommend early detection of vertebral anomalies in
this group and careful follow up of patients with these abnormalities.
