Frontiers in Pediatrics (Aug 2020)

Diagnostic Workup of Neonates With Esophageal Atresia: Results From the EUPSA Esophageal Atresia Registry

  • Francesco Morini,
  • Andrea Conforti,
  • Augusto Zani,
  • Sanja Sindjic-Antunovic,
  • Antti Koivusalo,
  • Florian Friedmacher,
  • Ernest van Heurn,
  • Agostino Pierro,
  • Michael Hollwarth,
  • Pietro Bagolan

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2020.00489
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8

Abstract

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Aim: Controversies exist on the optimal diagnostic workup for neonates with esophageal atresia (EA) with/without tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF). Aim of this study was to describe the current diagnostic policies in EA/TEF patients enrolled in an International multicenter registry.Methods: All patients consecutively registered from July 2014 to December 2017 in the EUPSA Esophageal Atresia Registry (EUPSA-EAR) were included in the study. Data related to diagnostic investigations among Centers forming the EUPSA-EAR were analyzed.Main Results: During the study period, 374 consecutive patients were recorded by 23 Centers. The majority of patients underwent chest X-rays, echocardiography, abdominal ultrasound, and abdominal X-rays. Preoperative bronchoscopy and esophageal gap measurement were performed in one third of the patients.Conclusions: Present data from a large cohort of patients from the EUPSA-EAR show both inter-institutional and intra-institutional variability in diagnostic workup of patients with EA/TEF. Efforts should be made to develop guidelines on the diagnostic workup for EA/TEF patients.

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