Synchronous esophageal and jejunal duplication in an infant: A case report

Alimentary tract duplications are rare congenital anomalies that usually occur at a single site; however, multisite duplications may arise and present with diverse clinical manifestations. A one-month-old male neonate, previously healthy, developed tachypnea and grunting during the first week of life. Antenatal follow-up had revealed a fluid-filled structure in the abdomen. He was admitted to a local hospital and treated with antibiotics for two weeks without improvement. On presentation, he exhibited severe respiratory distress. Physical examination revealed a palpable abdominal mass in the left upper quadrant extending to the pelvis. Chest radiographs suggested bilateral lung opacities. Abdominal ultrasonography identified an 11 × 5.6 cm intra-abdominal cyst and a 7 × 5.5 cm right intrapleural cyst. Thoracoabdominal computed tomography confirmed a 5.5 × 5 cm right thoracic cyst and two intra-abdominal cysts measuring 7.5 × 6.5 cm and 5.5 × 5.3 cm. The patient underwent right posterolateral thoracotomy and laparotomy with excision of the esophageal cyst and enucleation of small bowel duplication cysts. The postoperative course was uneventful. Histopathology confirmed esophageal and small bowel duplication cysts. On follow-up, he remained asymptomatic. Although alimentary tract duplications typically involve a single site, multisite involvement can occur and should be considered, particularly in patients with varied clinical presentations.