A rare disorder, present from birth, in which some or all of the bile ducts fail to develop or have developed abnormally.
As a result, bile is unable to drain from the liver (see cholestasis).
Unless the atresia can be treated, secondary biliary cirrhosis will develop and may prove fatal.
Symptoms include deepening jaundice, usually beginning a week after birth, and the passing of dark urine and pale faeces.
Treatment is by surgery to bypass the ducts.
If this fails, or if the jaundice recurs, a liver transplant is the only possible treatment.
a congenital or acquired condition characterized by obstructed bile flow secondary to destruction or absence of extrahepatic bile ducts. Babies usually present within the first few weeks of life with jaundice that does not improve with time. Some forms of biliary atresia can be corrected surgically, but if the diagnosis has been delayed the condition may lead to irreversible liver damage requiring liver transplantation.
The absence of a natural opening, or closure of it by a membrane. Thus atresia may be found in newborn infants, preventing the bowels from moving. In young girls after puberty, absence of the menstrual ?ow may be due to such a malformation at the entrance to the VAGINA.... atresia
A rare birth defect in which the oesophagus forms into 2 separate, blind-ended sections during development. There is usually an abnormal channel (tracheoesophageal fistula) between one of the sections and the trachea. The condition may be suspected before birth if the mother had polyhydramnios. The infant cannot swallow, and drools and regurgitates milk continually. If there is an upper tracheoesophageal fistula, milk may be sucked into the lungs, provoking attacks of coughing and cyanosis. Immediate surgery is needed to join the blind ends of the oesophagus and close the fistula. If the operation is successful, the baby should develop normally. Some babies, however, do not survive.... oesophageal atresia
a condition in which there is congenital narrowing of the duodenum causing complete obstruction. It presents at birth with vomiting, which is usually bile-stained, and is associated with other congenital abnormalities, particularly *Down’s syndrome. Treatment is by restoration of any fluid and electrolyte loss followed by surgical repair.... duodenal atresia
a rare form of congenital heart disease in which there is no communication between the right atrium and the right ventricle. Affected babies present with *cyanosis, breathlessness, particularly on feeding, and *failure to thrive. Diagnosis is by *echocardiography. Treatment involves surgical intervention, but the prognosis is often poor.... tricuspid atresia
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