Unusual presentation of esophageal communicating duplication in a child

Endoscopic treatment of pharyngo-esophageal diverticulum in child

Pharyngo-esophageal diverticula are extremely rare among children. Treatment in adults usually consists of endoscopic resection of the crico-pharyngeal muscle but application of this surgical procedure in children has not been reported before. We report the case of a 5-year-old boy whose recurrent pulmonary infection and chronic low weight led to diagnosis of a pharyngeal diverticulum. The diverticulum was removed by endoscopic CO(2) laser surgery. No relapse occurred during the 4-year follow-up period after surgery.

[Oesophageal duplication with neonatal revelation. About 2 cases]

Oesophageal duplication is a rare form of digestive duplication. This congenital malformation can be asymptomatic or manifest itself through respiratory signs due to airway compression. We report 2 cases of oesophageal duplication discovered in the neonatal period.

CASE REPORT

In both cases, symptoms were dominated by respiratory distress and vomiting. Diagnosis was confirmed by oesophageal contrast X-rays, which revealed a total tubular form in the 1st case and a cystic form in the 2nd case.

CONCLUSION

Oesophageal duplication is a rare abnormality of benign nature, which can be revealed in neonatal period by a noisy compression picture. Diagnosis of this anomaly should trigger a search for other digestive duplications, as well as associated malformations, in particular vertebral.

[Gastrointestinal malformations: a cause of chest pain]

Chest pain is an uncommon cause of consultation in childhood and is even less frequent if resulting from digestive causes. We present the cases of two patients with gastrointestinal tract malformations (diverticulum and esophageal duplication cyst) diagnosed after investigation of chest pain. A potential etiology of diverticulum could be a traction effect caused by fibrous adenopathy of tuberculous primary infection. Duplication cysts are inborn defects. Although these malformations are uncommon, clinicians should take them into account in patients with chest pain.

Communicating oesophageal duplication

Oesophageal duplications are rare congenital abnormalities. Most of them do not communicate with the oesophageal lumen. We present a very uncommon finding of communicating oesophageal duplication in which the connection between the oesophagus and its duplicate portion was demonstrated by CT.