Jejunal Atresia

Also known as: apple peel syndrome, apple peel small bowel syndrome, APSB.

What is jejunal atresia?

Atresia is a medical term that means the opening within the hollow of an organ (in this case the intestine) is blocked. Jejunal atresia arise when this portion of the intestine (the jejunum) fails to develop properly. In one form of jejunal atresia, this portion of the bowel wraps around an artery that supplies blood to the colon, giving the appearance of an apple peel. Jejunal atresia is a defect that is present at birth.
 

What causes jejunal atresia? 

The cause of jejunal atresia is often unknown. There may be a hereditary component to the disease, as it tends to run in families.
 

What are the symptoms of jejunal atresia?

A swollen abdomen, vomiting bile and a lack of stools are common symptoms of jejunal atresia.
 

What are jejunal atresia care options? 

Jejunal atresia needs to be repaired surgically. This surgery is performed as soon after birth as possible.

Reviewed by: Shifra A Koyfman, MD

This page was last updated on: March 20, 2019 04:07 PM