Duplications of the alimentary tract

Abstract

Duplications of the alimentary tract are rare spherical or tubular structures, which can occur anywhere in the tract from mouth to anus. Ladd, in 1937, introduced the term 'alimentary tract duplication' in the hope of clarifying the nomenclature which had previously included descriptive terms such as enteric or enterogenous cysts, giant diverticula; ileal, jejunal or colonic duplex, an unusual Meckel's diverticulum. Ladd proposed that the unifying term alimentary tract duplications be applied to congenital anomalies that involved the mesenteric side of the associated alimentary tract and shared a common blood supply with native bowel. Most duplications may indeed be called simply 'enterogenous cysts', since in only very few cases is there actual doubling of the alimentary tract and therefore deserving the name 'duplication'. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.