Les fistules œsotrachéales congénitales isolées : à propos de trois observations

The authors report three cases of isolated tracheoesophageal fistula without esophageal atresia (H type fistula), treated in the children's hospital of Rabat in Morocco. This is a rare malformation whose diagnosis was difficult in some cases because of misleading nature of symptoms. The clinical signs are mainly respiratory but also digestive. The diagnosis can be made with a barium swallow in all three patients, but a tracheoesophageal endoscopy remains the investigation of choice. The treatment is surgical. In most cases, the fistula is accessible by a cervical incision to obtain its division and suture of the esophageal and tracheal ends; in one case, a muscular flap was interposed. Follow up and long-term results were excellent. We discuss the different investigation for diagnosis and various therapeutic approaches.