What does atresia mean?
Atresia is a medical noun describing the congenital absence or complete closure of a natural opening, duct, or passage in the body. The term most often appears in paediatrics and surgery, where specific forms are named for the affected structure: biliary atresia involves the bile ducts, choanal atresia blocks the nasal passages, and oesophageal atresia interrupts the food pipe. Because these defects can seriously impair breathing, feeding, or digestion, atresia is frequently encountered in discussions of neonatal diagnosis and corrective surgery, where timely intervention can be lifesaving. The word derives from the Greek prefix meaning 'not' combined with a root for perforation, so it literally conveys the idea of something that should be open but never was. It is formal, technical vocabulary — unlikely in casual conversation, but essential reading for anyone navigating medical reports about congenital anomalies.
nounThe congenital absence or abnormal closure of a natural body opening or duct, such as the ear canal, bile ducts, or oesophagus.
- A congenital condition in which a natural body opening, duct, or passage is absent, closed, or imperforate.
"The newborn was diagnosed with biliary atresia shortly after birth."
"Choanal atresia, in which the nasal passages are blocked by bone or tissue, can make it difficult for infants to breathe while feeding."
"The surgeon explained that the child's aural atresia meant the external ear canal had never fully formed."
The plural appears mainly in medical literature when discussing multiple cases or types of the condition.
"The textbook surveys the major congenital atresias of the digestive tract."
Babies born with biliary atresia can survive only if surgeons create new bile drainage before their first birthday.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of atresia
Atresia comes from modern Latin, borrowed in turn from Greek: the prefix a- means 'without', and trēsis means 'perforation', derived from the verb tetrainein, 'to bore or pierce'. The word thus literally signifies a lack of perforation — a passage that failed to form. It entered European medical vocabulary in the nineteenth century and remains a standard term across clinical specialties. It shares a distant Indo-European root with words such as attrition and detritus, which trace back to roots meaning 'to rub or wear away'.
Related word forms
How atresia is actually used
Strictly a medical term, used almost exclusively in clinical and scientific contexts rather than everyday speech. It always refers to a structural defect present from birth (or occasionally acquired through disease), and is typically qualified by the affected structure, as in 'biliary' or 'choanal' atresia.
Easily confused with atresia
Stenosis is an abnormal narrowing of an existing passage, whereas atresia is the complete absence or total closure of one.