What condition results if there is an incomplete separation of the trachea and esophagus during embryonic development?

The condition that arises from incomplete separation of the trachea and esophagus during embryonic development is known as esophageal fistula. More specifically, this condition often manifests as a tracheoesophageal fistula, which involves an abnormal connection between the trachea and the esophagus.

During embryonic development, the trachea and esophagus are supposed to form as separate structures from the foregut. If there is a failure in this separation, it can result in a fistula, which can vary in its presentation. This malformation typically leads to various complications, especially in newborns, such as aspiration, recurrent pneumonia, and feeding difficulties since food can enter the airway through the fistula.

In contrast, atresia refers to an absence or closure of a normal body opening, which, while it can occur in the esophagus, is not caused by an incomplete separation but rather reflects a failure of normal development. Adenocarcinoma and diverticulitis, meanwhile, are conditions that have no direct association with embryonic development but are rather related to later physiological processes and disease states of the gastrointestinal tract.