Double aortic arch associated with esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula

Esophageal atresia (EA) with tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is commonly associated with significant cardiovascular anomalies. Mortality is higher with cardiovascular abnormalities, especially those undiagnosed prior to surgical repair of the EA/TEF. Advances in cardiac imaging techniques, most notably echocardiography, have made noninvasive evaluation of the heart and great vessels easy to perform and reliable. Thus, the preoperative cardiovascular anatomy of these infants should be routinely assessed prior to surgical correction. A case of EA/TEF associated with an unsuspected double aortic arch is described. Although a wide variety of cardiovascular lesions have been associated with EA/TEF, coexistence of a double aortic arch has not been previously reported. Preoperative recognition of this anomaly would have altered the surgical approach, and perhaps reduced the postoperative morbidity and mortality.