Alimentary tract duplications.

A total of 17 patients with alimentary tract duplications underwent surgery at National Taiwan University Hospital from 1978 to 1994. Fifteen patients (88%) had gastrointestinal duplication and two (12%) had esophageal duplication. Common presenting symptoms of gastrointestinal duplication were melena and abdominal pain. The ileum was the most common site of duplication. Multiple duplications were seen in three patients. All duplications were cystic, except for one single appendiceal duplication. Ectopic gastric mucosa was detected in nine of the 16 nongastric duplications. One patient with ileal duplication had ectopic pancreatic tissue. Twelve patients received resection of the duplication with a segment of bowel and primary anastomosis, three patients underwent simple excision and two patients had partial resection of the duplication and stripping of the residual mucosa. Two patients had other associated congenital anomalies: one had ventricular septal defect and the other, imperforate anus and malrotation of intestine. There was no operative mortality or morbidity in this series.