Rectal atresia: pathogenesis and operative treatment

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Congenital Malformations
• Gastrointestinal Surgery

Background:

• Rectal atresia (RA) is a rare anorectal malformation.
• It is often considered an acquired lesion due to vascular genesis.
• The absence of other congenital anomalies is cited as evidence for acquired etiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between rectal atresia and other congenital anomalies.
• To evaluate the etiology of rectal atresia.
• To report surgical outcomes for rectal atresia.

Main Methods:

• Case series of four patients with rectal atresia and associated congenital anomalies.
• Literature review of two additional cases.
• Surgical treatment using the posterior sagittal approach.

Main Results:

• Four new cases of rectal atresia with significant congenital anomalies were identified.
• Two similar cases were found in existing literature.
• All patients treated with the posterior sagittal approach achieved good functional results.

Conclusions:

• The presence of other congenital anomalies in rectal atresia cases challenges the theory of an exclusively acquired etiology.
• Rectal atresia may have a congenital component.
• The posterior sagittal approach is effective for treating rectal atresia.