Atresia of the Jejunum and Ileum: What is the Difference?

Achariya Tongsin MD*,

Maitree Anuntkosol MD*, Rangsan Niramis MD*
* Department of Surgery, Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, College of Medicine,
Rangsit University, Bangkok

Background: Atresia of the jejunum and ileum is one of the major causes of neonatal intestinal obstruction.
Most affected newborn infants present with bilious emesis and abdominal distention. Traditionally, jejunal
and ileal atresia have been grouped together as jejunoileal atresia.
Objective: To elucidate the difference between jejunal and ileal atresia.
Material and Method: A retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with jejunal or ileal atresia, who were
treated at the Department of Surgery, Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health during January 1988 to
December 2007, was carried out.
Results: There were 74 patients with jejunal atresia and 68 patients with ileal atresia. The mean birth weight
and gestational age of patients with jejunal atresia were significantly lower than those with ileal atresia.
Antenatal perforation occurred more frequently in ileal atresia. Postoperative course was more prolonged
and mortality was higher in jejunal atresia. Prolonged ileus and anastomotic dysfunction requiring long-term
parenteral nutrition were the major causes of complications leading to death.
Conclusion: There were many differences between patients with jejunal atresia and those with ileal atresia.
The more compliant jejunal wall allows massive dilatation upon obstruction with subsequent loss of peristaltic
activity, thus poorer outcome in comparison with ileal obstruction. We suggest that atresia of the jejunum and
ileum be considered differently.
Keywords: Intestinal atresia, Jejunoileal atresia
J Med Assoc Thai 2008; 91 (Suppl 3): S85-9
Full text. e-Journal: http://www.medassocthai.org/journal

Atresia of the jejunum and ileum is one of

the major causes of neonatal intestinal obstruction
which requires surgical intervention. Atresia refers to a
congenital obstruction with complete occlusion of the
intestinal lumen(1). Most affected newborn infants
present with bilious emesis and abdominal distention.
Traditionally, jejunal and ileal atresia have been grouped
together as jejunoileal atresia. From our observation
and experience, we found many differences regarding
clinical features and outcome between these two
groups. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the
difference between jejunal and ileal atresia.
Correspondence to: Tongsin A, Department of Surgery, Queen
Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, 420/8 Rajavithi Road,
Bangkok 10400, Thailand. Phone&Fax: 0-2354-8095, E-mail:
achariya_to@hotmail.com

J Med Assoc Thai Vol. 91 Suppl. 3 2008

Material and Method

A retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed
with jejunal or ileal atresia, who were treated at the
Department of Surgery, Queen Sirikit National Institute
of Child Health during January 1988 to December 2007,
was carried out. All data were analyzed using a computerized program (Epi Info version 3.4) and presented
as mean + SD or percentage. The differences between
each group were compared, p-value of less than 0.05
was considered significantly different.
Results
Of the total 142 patients, 74 had jejunal atresia
and 68 had ileal atresia. Obstetric data demonstrated
no specific pattern. Maternal polyhydramnios was
recorded in 7 patients, 6 of jejunal and one of ileal
atresia. Antenatal ultrasonography demonstrated sign

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of small inlestinal obstruction in 7 patients, 5 of jejunal

and 2 of ileal atresia.
There was a preponderance of premature
birth (62%) among patients with jejunal atresias. The
mean birth weight in this group was significantly
lower than that of patients with ileal atresia (2,264 + 544
versus 2,804 + 620 g, p = 0.01).
Of the 74 patients with jejunal atresia, 57
had single atresia and 17 had multiple atresias.
Twelve patients had associated congenital anomalies:
malrotation(4), cardiovascular anomalies(5), Down
syndrome(1), vertebral anomalies(1) and occipital
meningocele(1). Eight patients had antenatal intestinal
perforation. Operative management consisted of
resection and primary anastomosis in 60 patients,
resection and enteroplasty in 12 patients, resection
and temporary enterostomy in 2 patients. Postoperative complications consisted of anastomotic leak in 3
patients, anastomotic stricture in 5 patients, paralytic
ileus in 6 patients, cholestasis in 3 patients and short
bowel in 3 patients. Nine patients required reoperation.
The indications for reoperation were anastomotic
stricture in 5 patients, anastomotic leak in 3 patients
and adhesive intestinal obstruction in one. Mortality
was higher in multiple atresia, 8 out of 17 (47%), whereas
the whole group mortality was 19 out of 74 (26%).
Of the 68 patients with ileal atresia, 56 had
single atresia and 12 had multiple atresias. Eleven
patients had associated congenital anomalies: malro-

tation(6), cardiovascular anomalies(3), Down syndrome(1) and vertebral anomalies(1). Fifteen patients
had segmental ileal volvulus. Nineteen patients had
antenatal perforation. Operative management consisted
of resection and primary anastomosis in 58 patients,
resection and temporary enterostomy in 9 patients,
resection and enteroplasty in one. Of the nine patients
who underwent resection and temporary enterostomy,
5 patients had antenatal perforation. The postoperative course was related to the type of atresia. The
patients with single atresia made a quicker recovery
than patients with multiple atresias. Postoperative complications consisted of anastomotic leak in 7 patients,
anastomotic stricture in 3 patients, paralytic ileus in 3
patients, short bowel in 3 patients and cholestasis in 2
patients. Twelve patients required reoperation. The
indications for reoperation were anastomotic leak in
7 patients, anastomotic stricture in 3 patients and
adhesive intestinal obstruction in 2 patients. The
mortality was higher in multiple atresias, 5 out of 12
(42%), whereas the whole group mortality was 15 out
of 68 (22%).
Comparison patients with jejunal atresia
and those with ileal atresia, the mean gestational age
and birth weight of patients with jejunal atresia were
significantly lower. Antenatal perforation occurred more
frequently in ileal atresia. The postoperative course
was more prolonged in jejunal atresia. Details are
shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Differences between cases of jejunal and ileal atresia

Number of patients
Single atresia
Multiple atresias
Prematurity (n)
Birth weight (g)
Antenatal perforation
TPN (days)
Complications
Anastomotic leak
Anastomotic stricture
Paralytic ileus
Cholestasis
Short bowel
Reoperations
Mortality

Jejunum

Ileum

74
57
17
46 (62%)
2,264 + 544
8 (11%)
31 + 35 (2-200)
20
3
5
6
3
3
9
19 (26%)

68
56
12
12 (18%)
2,804 + 620
19 (28%)
26 + 36 (1-229)
18
7
3
3
2
3
12
15 (22%)

p-value

<0.005
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.94

0.35
0.61

TPN: total parenteral nutrition

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J Med Assoc Thai Vol. 91 Suppl. 3 2008

Discussion
Congenital atresia of the jejunum and ileum
represents the most frequent cause of intestinal
obstruction in neonate. Multiple theories regarding the
etiology of jejunal and ileal atresia have been studied
in many animal models, including puppies, ewes,
rabbits and chick embryos(2-5). Recent work in a mouse
model suggests that some forms of atresia may be
hereditary and result from dysregulation of proliferation and apoptosis of the developing intestine through
the fibroblast growth factor pathways(6). To date, the
most accepted theory regarding the etiology of jejunal
and ileal atresia is that of an intrauterine vascular
accident resulting in necrosis of the affected segment,
with subsequent resorption, rather than the previously
accepted theory of inadequate recanalization of the
intestinal tract(3,7). Since then, other factors such as in
utero intussuseption, intestinal perforation, segmental
volvulus, and thromboembolism have also been
shown to cause jejunal and ileal atresia(8). The site of
obstruction was located by intraoperative finding. An
atretic site which is less than 60 cm from duodenojejunal
junction represents jejunal atresia and an atretic site
which more than 60 cm from duodenojejunal junction
represents ileal atresia.
In this study, we found more differences than
similarities between patients with jejunal and with ileal
atresia (Table 2). The obstetric data of patients with
jejunal atresia showed a significantly lower gestational
age and birth weight compared to patients with ileal
atresia.
In atresia of the small intestine, the jejunum
and ileum are equally affected(1,8,9) (Table 3)(8,10-15). The
jejunum is the site of atresia in 51% of cases and the
ileum in 49% of cases(1). In more than 90% of patients,
the atresia is single, but multiple atresias are reported
in 6-20% of patients(1,16-20). Multiple atresias occurred
more frequent in jejunal atresia than in ileal atresia(11,21).
This is the same finding as in our study. The incidence
of multiple atresias in our series is high compared to
the other observations(16-20). The cause of multiple
atresia is unknown, and theories range from multiple
ischemic infarcts, possibly from amore global placental
insufficiency, to an early embryonic defect of the gastrointestinal tract, to an inflammatory process occurring
in utero(5,22,23). Antenatal perforation occurred more
frequently in ileal atresia. A difference in compliance of
the bowel wall between the jejunum and ileum may
explain this finding(11). The jejunum appears capable
of massive dilatation in the case of atresia, whereas
the ileum is never much dilated but tends to perforate.

J Med Assoc Thai Vol. 91 Suppl. 3 2008

Associated congenital malformations occurred

equally in each group and higher than the other
observations(8,24).
The postoperative course in jejunal atresia
was more prolonged than in ileal atresia. This also can
be explained by the difference in bowel wall compliance(11). The very dilated jejunum lost its peristaltic
activity and required more time to regain its function.
In ileal atresia, where the bowel is never dilated to the
same degree, the function is restored much sooner.
Although more cases of antenatal perforation occurred
in ileal atresia, this did not influence the outcome.
In conclusion, we found many differences
between patients with jejunal and ileal atresia. Jejunal
atresia is characterized by a lower gestational age and
birth weight. There were more cases of multiple atresias
in jejunal atresia. Postoperative course was more
prolonged and mortality was higher in jejunal atresia.
Prolonged ileus and anastomotic dysfunction requiring long-term parenteral nutrition were the major
causes of complications leading to death. The more

Table 2. Differences between jejunal and ileal

Characteristic

Jejunum

Gestational age

Lower than that

of ileal atresia
Lower than that
of ileal atresia
May be multiple
Uncommon
Prolonged
Higher than that
of ileal atresia

Birth weight
Atresias
Antenatal perforation
Postoperative course
Mortality

Ileum
Low
Low
Single
Common
Short
Low

Table 3. Occurrent comparison of jejunal and ileal atresia

Authors

de Lorimier AA, 1969(8)

Cywes S, 1990(10)
Heij HA, 1990(11)
Cywes S, 1996(12)
Millar AJW, 1997(13)
Kim IK, 1999(14)
Park J, 2004(15)
Present study 2008

Number Jejunal
of total
atresia
cases number of
cases (%)
587
166
45
157
250
143
19
142

299 (51)
118 (71)
21 (47)
113 (72)
161 (73)
72 (51)
11 (58)
74 (52)

Ileal
atresia
number of
cases (%)
288 (49)
48 (29)
24 (53)
44 (28)
59 (26)
71 (49)
8 (42)
68 (48)

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compliant jejunal wall allows massive dilatation

upon obstruction with subsequent loss of peristaltic
activity, thus resulting in a poorer outcome in comparison with ileal atresia. We suggest that atresia of the
jejunum and ileum be considered differently.
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J Med Assoc Thai Vol. 91 Suppl. 3 2008

:
, ,
:

:

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J Med Assoc Thai Vol. 91 Suppl. 3 2008

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