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

Within weeks he was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a blockage in the ducts that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder, a rare form of liver disease only seen in infants.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2022

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

Buchnerus records a case of congenital atresia of the mouth.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)