The association of spinal and gastroesophageal anomalies. Case report and review.

Severe cervical radiculopathy occurred in a child with gastroesophageal duplication who had a previously unrecognized vertebral malformation. We review the literature on the association of vertebral and gastroesophageal anomalies and discuss the recent studies in human embryology which detail the relations of notochord to endoderm and neural ectoderm at about 3 weeks of gestation. This case illustrates the opportunity of preventing nerve root or spinal cord compromise due to such vertebral anomalies when the possibility of their association with gastroesophageal duplication is considered.