Genetics of gastrointestinal atresias

Gastrointestinal atresias are a common and serious feature within the spectrum of gastrointestinal malformations. Atresias tend to be lethal, although, now-days surgery and appropriate care can restore function to the affected organs. In spite of their frequency, their life threatening condition and report history gastrointestinal atresias' etiology remains mostly unclarified. Gastrointestinal atresias can occur as sporadic but they are more commonly seen in association with other anomalies. For the syndromic cases there is mounting evidence of a strong genetic component. Sporadic cases are generally thought to originate from mechanical or vascular incidents in utero, especially for the atresias of the lower intestinal tract. However, recent data show that a genetic component may be present also in these cases. Embryological and genetic studies are starting to uncover the mechanism of gastrointestinal development and their genetic components. Here we present an overview of the current knowledge of gastrointestinal atresias, their syndromic forms and the genetic pathways involved in gastrointestinal malformation.