Rectal Atresia in Children: A Comprehensive Review of Recent Advances (2022-2025)

Rectal atresia accounts for 1-2% of anorectal malformations (ARMs), with a male predominance [1].It often presents as an isolated defect or in association with syndromic conditions such as VACTERL (vertebral, anal, cardiovascular, tracheoesophageal, renal, and limb anomalies) [2][3][4].Recent studies emphasize the importance of prenatal diagnosis through ultrasound, which can detect bowel dilation or absent anal dimple as early as the second trimester [2].Postnatal evaluation includes contrast enema and MRI to confirm the atresia level and rule out fistulas [2,5].