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Question
2-day old baby boy presents with forceful vomiting of entire feeds, bloated belly, and has not passed stools since birth. What's the diagnosis?
Answer
Colonic atresia
Colonic Atresia
- Condition in which a part of the colon has not formed correctly; colon is completely blocked or missing altogether. The colon is the rarest site of atresia in the GI tract.
- Diagnosis may be suggested in prenatal sonograms and is usually revealed in affected newborns shortly after birth.
- Patients usually present with vomiting, abdominal distention, and failure to pass meconium.
- Differential includes:
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Small bowel atresia
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Meconium plug syndrome
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Hirschsprung's disease
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- Treatment is supportive and ultimately surgical correction
References
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http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/934014-overview