[A case of esophageal duplication discovered in a newborn]

A case of esophageal duplication discovered in the neonatal period is reported and discussed. This infrequent malformation (9% of all childhood mediastinal tumors) is an entoblastic duplication of the digestive tract and is often accompanied with spinal malformations. The duplication may be either cystic or tubular; the latter form usually opens into the normal esophagus. The most common clinical manifestations are respiratory symptoms caused by compression. The diagnosis, suggested by the findings on the plain chest film and osephageal opacification, is confirmed by the ultrasound examination and, above all, the CT scan. The treatment of this malformation is surgical. Reconstruction may be difficult but overall results and prognosis are excellent.