VACTERL association

The VACTERL association is the name given to a group of anomalies that includes at least three of the following congenital malformations in the same individual: vertebral and limb defects, tracheoesophageal fistula, anal atresia, cardiac defects, and renal anomalies. Its etiology remains largely unknown, probably because of its clinical and causal heterogeneity, the typical sporadic nature of the disease, as well as the various features that make it similar to other diseases. Therapeutic management is generally multidisciplinary and focuses on surgical correction of congenital malformations detected in the immediate postnatal stage, followed by continuous and prolonged follow-up of post-surgical complications and sequelae of these anomalies. If optimal resolution is achieved by surgery, the prognosis may be to some extent positive; however, a certain number of patients will remain affected throughout life.

Key words: VACTERL association, etiology, therapeutic management, surgical correction, complications