Application of Spiral CT with Three-dimensional Reconstruction in Preoperative Evaluation of Congenital Esophageal Atresia and Tracheoesophageal Fistula

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of 64 slice spiral CT in congenital esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula. Methods Twenty-nine newborns with congenital esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula diagnosed by surgery,clinical results and esophageal imaging underwent 64slice spiral CT. Post-processing techniques included multi-planar reconstruction( MPR),minimum intensity projection( MinIP) and Raysum. Imaging findings were compared with surgical observations. Results According to Gross tumor classification,type I was found in 2 cases and type Ⅲ in 27. Three-dimensional reconstruction of CT images clearly showed the morphology and location of upper esophageal atresia and the anatomical tree of trachea and bronchia. The opening of fistula and the distance between two blind ends of esophagus were showed in 24 cases,but fistula opening could not be identified clearly in 3 cases.Conclusion Multi-slice spiral CT is highly valuable for the preoperative evaluation of congenital esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula. It can be used to reveal the distance between the two blind ends of esophagus and the location of fistula opening,and to provide reliable imaging resources for surgical decision making.