Duplication of the Esophagus -Report of A Case-

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Duplication of the alimentary tract, especially of the esophagus, have been regarded as rare cong- enital anomalies. However, they are being reported with increasing frequency in the literature. In the . ,- past they have been described by a variety of names, such as "enteric cysts", "intestinal cysts", "giant diverticula", "`mediastinal cysts of foregut origin" "enterogenous cysts" and other descriptive terms. . Most authorities now agree that these anomalies are best described by the term "duplications of the alimentary tract. The duplications [of the alimentary tract] are spherical or tubular structures which poses a well developed smooth muscle layer and are lined with a mucous membrane from any part of the alimentary tract. They may occur at any place in the digestive tube from the tongue to the rectum and usually are intimately attached to some portion of the alimentary tube. We have experienced a duplication of the esophagus in 14 years old middle schoolboy. He complained dysphagia, eructation and substernal pain associated with intermittent high fever and chilliness, increasing in severity for recent three weeks. Routine chest X-ray film revealed nore markable abnormal finding but esophagogram. revealed marked narrowing of the esophagus throughout with a large blind pouch in lower half with fistulous communication at mid portion of the esophagus. On thoracotomy, a large infected blind pouch communicating with the lumen of normal esophagus proximally, Was extended from the level of 5th to 10th thoracic spine. The duplicated segment of the esophagus has a common muscular .wall and proximal communication with the adjacent esophagus. The infected, duplicated esophagus was segmentally resected, and esophagogastrostomy with pyloroplasty was done by displacing the stomach into the right thoracic cavity through midline laparotomy. His Postoperative course was uneventful and discharged without complication.