Long Gap Esophageal Atresia and Arterial Circle of Willis Variant Leading to Ischemic Stroke during Gastric Transposition

Abstract

In children, strokes occur with a frequency of 2 to 13 per 100 000. Risk factors include hematological, embolic and anatomical anomalies. But often the exact cause of strokes in pediatric patients remains unclear. We report here on a patient with long gap esophageal atresia, who suffered an ischemic stroke during gastric transposition. Postoperative assessment revealed a cerebral vascular variant of the circle of Willis. Follow-up clinical controls showed a favorable course. Today, at the age of 14 months, almost no neurological deficits are evident. To the best of our knowledge, no description of vascular cerebral complications combined with esophageal atresia can be found in the literature.

Key words

long gap esophageal atresia - cerebral vascular variant - cerebral stroke - esophageal reconstruction - congenital anomalies

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