Laryngotracheo-Esophageal Cleft in a Neonate with Esophageal Atresia and Tracheo-Esophageal Fistula: Report of a Case

Laryngotracheo-esophageal cleft (LTEC) is a congenital anomaly, rarely found in neonates with esophageal atresia (EA) and tracheo-esophageal fistula (TEF), that poses diagnostic and treatment dilemmas for the attending surgeon. In most cases previously reported, the diagnosis of this association was made either at surgery or at autopsy. We present herein the case of a neonate with EA and distal pouch (type C) TEF who was also found to have a LTEC (Evans type III) at the time of surgery. The salient clinical and radiological features of this association are highlighted to increase awareness of the possibility of this rare association and to help promote its early detection. Received: September 3, 1999 / Accepted: July 25, 2000