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Respiratory manifestations in children and adults born with oesophageal atresia (OA)/ tracheo - oesphageal fistula (TOF)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Respiratory manifestations in children and adults born with oesophageal atresia (OA)/ tracheo - oesphageal fistula (TOF)


Around 50% of adults born with OA/TOF have respiratory symptoms every year, and in early childhood this is much higher. (1)

Clinical features:

  • chronic cough/TOF cough (a hoarse brassy cough due to tracheomalacia)
  • coughing associated with eating
  • difficulty clearing secretions
  • recurrent chest infections (2)
  • slow recovery from chest infections
  • wheeze that is aggravated by or doesn’t respond to bronchodilators
  • sleep difficulties (apnoea, nocturnal cough, nocturnal choking) (3)

Causes:

  • tracheomalacia- 87% had this in one study (4,5)
  • dysphagia and aspiration due to airway reflux (6)
  • bronchiectasis (3)
  • undiagnosed airway defects e.g. laryngeal cleft (7)
  • restrictive lung disease due to surgery and associated anomalies(6)
  • recurrent tracheo-oesophageal fistula (8,9)

Contributor:

  • Dr Caroline Love (August 2022)
  • Associate Specialist in Dermatology at York Hospitals Trust; Adult born with OA/TOF and representative of TOFS charity

Reference:

  • Gatzinsky V, Jönsson L, Ekerljung L, Friberg LG, Wennergren G. Long-term respiratory symptoms following oesophageal atresia. Acta Paediatrica. 2011;100(9):122-5.
  • Sistonen SJ, Koivusalo A, Nieminen U, Lindahl H, Lohi J, Kero M, et al. Esophageal morbidity and function in adults with repaired esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula: a population-based long-term follow-up. Ann Surg. 2010 Jun;251(6):1167-73.
  • Kovesi T. Aspiration Risk and Respiratory Complications in Patients with Esophageal Atresia. Front Pediatr [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2021 Aug 2];0. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2017.00062/full
  • Baxter KJ, Baxter LM, Landry AM, Wulkan ML, Bhatia AM. Structural airway abnormalities contribute to dysphagia in children with esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula. Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 2018 Sep;53(9):1655-9.
  • Roberts K, Karpelowsky J, Fitzgerald DA, Soundappan SS. Outcomes of oesophageal atresia and tracheo-oesophageal fistula repair. J Paediatr Child Health. 2016 Jul;52(7):694-8.
  • Sadreameli SC, McGrath-Morrow SA. Respiratory Care of Infants and Children with Congenital Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula and Oesophageal Atresia. Paediatr Respir Rev. 2016 Jan 1;17:16-23.
  • Shah AR, Lazar EL, Atlas AB. Tracheal diverticula after tracheoesophageal fistula repair: case series and review of the literature. J Pediatr Surg. 2009 Nov;44(11):2107-11.
  • Lin JH, Deng L, Li X. Recurrent tracheoesophageal fistula in an adolescent without persistent symptoms: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Nov;96(46):e8668.
  • Downey P, Middlesworth W, Bacchetta M, Sonett J. Recurrent and congenital tracheoesophageal fistula in adults. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2017 Dec 1;52(6):1218-22.

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