title: The trachea and esophagus after repair of esophageal atresia and distal fistula: computed tomographic observations.
abstract: Five patients, whose esophageal atresia and distal tracheoesophageal fistula had been repaired in infancy, were examined by computed tomography at age 2 to 21 because of recurrent or persistent tracheal or esophageal problems. Their tracheas generally failed to have the roughly circular cross-sectional shape found in controls. The pars membranacea was often unusually broad, with much more section-to-section variation in area than in controls. Change in cross-sectional area with respiratory phase, in the one patient assessed, was much greater than in a control. These tracheal abnormalities help to explain the tracheal symptoms found in these and similar patients. Their esophagi contained much air and fluid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: N T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Griscom
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004933:Esophageal Atresia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012008:Recurrence; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014138:Tracheoesophageal Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery