Association of colonic atresia and Hirschsprung's disease in the newborn: report of a new case and review of the literature.

Colonic atresia (CA) is an infrequent cause of lower gastrointestinal obstruction in the neonate. Coexistence with aganglionosis of the colon (Hirschsprung's disease) has been reported but is generally not recognized in the neonatal period. We report another case and present a review of the literature. A boy with a lower gastrointestinal obstruction, caused by a CA type III, had creation of a proximal colostomy and a distal mucous fistula on the 1st day of life. In the preoperative work-up before restoring the continuity, rectal suction biopsies revealed the presence of Hirschsprung's disease. When the boy was 6 months old, a distal colectomy and reanastomosis were done. Creation of a colostomy and reanastomosis in a second procedure is recommended for treating a type III CA unless distal aganglionosis has been ruled out.