Distal foregut atresias in consecutive siblings and twins in the same family.

The distal foregut comprises the antrum of the stomach and supra-ampullary region of the duodenum. In this part of the gut, intraluminal mucosal diaphragms, webs, membranes (type I), and rarely solid cord (type II) atresias are occasionally seen in clinical practice. Due to increased awareness, the number of reported cases has increased in recent years.

Multiple gastrointestinal atresias in two consecutive siblings.

Two consecutive female siblings with multiple gastrointestinal atresias are described. The history of consanguinity in the parents and the presence of extensive typical pathological lesions suggest a genetically-induced developmental fault in the alimentary tract during the early embryonic period.

Atresias of the gastrointestinal tract in an inbred, previously unstudied population.

Retrospective analysis of the records of newborns with gastrointestinal (GI) atresias in a 16-year period revealed that more than 25% of patients had genetically-influenced atresias. Among these, an appreciable increase was observed in atresias confined to the antral region and in a syndrome of hereditary multiple GI atresias. In the absence of environmental and teratogenic factors, this increase could be due to the traditional social practice of endogamy in this population.

Concordant expression of Hirschsprung's disease in monozygous twins.

A monozygous pair of twins with long segment Hirschsprung's disease born to non consanguineous parents is presented. Mother's history was uneventful. In the absence of prenatal and postnatal illness, the concordant lesions in this pair could be attributed to genetic factors.

Junctional epidermolysis bullosa lethalis with pyloric and anorectal obstruction.

The authors present a case of epidermolysis bullosa lethalis (EBL) associated with a double obstruction, one at the pyloric and the other in the anorectal region. Both obstructions could be due to separation of the rectal mucosa during intrauterine life followed by adhesive closure of its wall. Both the gastrointestinal lesions could be part of the generalized denudation process involved in EBL.