atresia

American  

[uh-tree-zhuh, -zhee-uh] / əˈtri ʒə, -ʒi ə /

noun

Medicine/Medical.

1. the congenital absence, or the pathological closure, of an opening, passage, or cavity.

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atresia British  

/ -ʒə, əˈtriːʒɪə /

noun

1. absence of or unnatural narrowing of a body channel

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Other Word Forms

• atresic adjective
• atretic adjective

Etymology

Origin of atresia

1800–10; < New Latin < Greek a- a- ⁶ + três ( is ) perforation + -ia -ia

Example Sentences

She said Reggie was born with a number of health complications, including oesophageal atresia and skeletal dysplasia, meaning he will have to have both legs amputated.

From BBC • Sep. 27, 2025

Billy was born with a condition called tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia, a severe heart defect that occurs in approximately one in 2,500 babies.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2024

Cecilia had been suffering since birth with biliary atresia.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 18, 2021

Perhaps his most famous transplant patient was 11-month-old Jamie Fiske, who was born with biliary atresia, a rare condition of the liver and bile ducts.

From Washington Post • Sep. 4, 2020

Sometimes there is a complete closure or atresia of the lower part of the colon.

From The Mother and Her Child by Sadler, William S.