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Traumatic pharyngeal pseudodiverticulum mimicking esophageal atresia

Kamalesh Pal1, Abdullah Alwabari, Magdy Abdulatif

  • 1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Maternity and Children Hospital, Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. kamalesh_pal@yahoo.com

Indian Journal of Pediatrics
|March 6, 2007
PubMed

Insights

A rare pharyngeal pseudodiverticulum in a premature newborn mimicked esophageal atresia (EA). This case highlights the importance of considering traumatic injury in diagnosing esophageal obstructions in neonates.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal medicine
  • Pediatric surgery
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Esophageal atresia (EA) with or without tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is the common diagnosis for esophageal obstruction in newborns.
  • Traumatic instrumentation can rarely cause pharyngeal or upper esophageal perforation, leading to a pseudodiverticulum.

Observation:

  • A case of an extremely premature (28-week gestation) and low birth weight (950g) newborn presented with symptoms mimicking EA.
  • The newborn had a traumatic laceration and a pharyngeal pseudodiverticulum, initially mistaken for EA.

Findings:

  • The study presents a rare case of pharyngeal pseudodiverticulum in a neonate.
  • Diagnostic characteristics and management strategies for this condition are discussed.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the need to consider iatrogenic injury and pseudodiverticulum in the differential diagnosis of neonatal esophageal obstruction.
  • Accurate diagnosis is crucial for appropriate management and to avoid unnecessary interventions for presumed EA.

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