[Abnormalities of the upper gastrointestinal tract diagnosed prenatally by ultrasound].

A hydramnion occurring during the second half of pregnancy may be due to atresias in the upper intestinal tract. Generally, one case of oesophageal atresia is likely to occur in every 2,500 births, often together with other malformations. Prenatal diagnosis of such atresias substantially improves prognosis for these children via optimal cooperation between the obstetrician and the paediatric surgeon. Characteristic features of oesophageal atresia in the sonographic image are, besides the hydramnion, the absence of visualisation of the stomach. Sonographic diagnosis of duodenal atresias is based on visualisation of the stomach, which is excessively filled with fluid, and of the portion of the small intestine located cranially of the stenosis. The patients treated by the author and presented here were successfully operated on via termination of birth and immediate surgery by the paediatric surgeon.