[Prenatal and neonatal management of digestive tract duplications. Diagnostic difficulties and therapeutic implications].

OBJECTIVE

To insist on the difficulty of the antenatal diagnosis of digestive duplications, to show the importance of a complete malformative screening, and the need for immediate management at birth.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

A cystic duplication of the tongue, a duplication, abdomino-thoracic transdiaphragmatic, and a duplication of the small bowel are described and compared with cases previously reported in th literature.

RESULTS

Antenatal evacuation puncture of a duplication of the tongue must be reserved for exceptional situations. Foregut duplications are often associated with other malformations. The duplication of the small intestine can exceptionally expose to a mechanical complication, mostly during the postnatal period, which may require emergency surgery.

CONCLUSION

Duplications of the alimentary tract should be detectable on prenatal ultrasound examination. A complete antenatal malformative screening is required and in utero transfer is warranted because emergency surgery may be required.