title: Antenatal diagnosis of abdominothoracic alimentary tract duplication: a case report.
abstract: Alimentary tract duplications are rare, linked in their tubular form with a disturbance of organogenesis at the time of the separation of the notochord during the 4th week of gestation. Its division leads to the formation of a supernumerary esophagus, situated in the posterior mediastinum, associated with vertebral malformations and connected at its distal extremity with the alimentary tract. We report a case of esophageal duplication revealed antenatally as an ultrasound image of fluid tonality in the posterior mediastinum, causing a major pleural effusion. The other diagnostic possibilities are discussed in terms of the anatomy, embryogenesis and ultrasonographic appearance of the lesion.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Anatomie, CHRU de Rennes, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jacquemard
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Palaric
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Hervé
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Duval
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Darnault
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Treguier
mesh_terms: D004947:Esophagus / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011859:Radiography; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal