Esophageal pseudomass at the thoracic inlet on barium swallow: CT findings.
OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to describe the CT findings in patients with an apparent mass at the thoracic inlet on barium swallow and to further explore its etiology by making appropriate measurements on CT.


METHODS
Barium swallows and CT scans of five patients with esophageal pseudomass were reviewed and compared with CT scans of 65 controls. Anteroposterior (AP) diameters of the thoracic inlet were measured, and the relationships of the esophagus to the trachea were determined on CT.


RESULTS
Absence of a demonstrable mass on CT in patients with an extrinsic impression on barium swallow was associated with narrowed AP diameter of the thoracic inlet (< 5 cm) and the esophagus to the left of the trachea. A significant correlation was observed between the AP diameter of the inlet and the position of the esophagus in relation to the trachea in control subjects (r = 0.52, p < 0.001); with diminished diameter, the esophagus is more frequently located to the left side of the trachea.


CONCLUSIONS
An apparent mass is simulated by lateral deviation of the lower cervical esophagus, due to diminished available space between the trachea and the esophagus in subjects with a narrow (< 5 cm) AP diameter of the thoracic inlet.
Bhadelia
R A
RA
Department of Radiology, New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Hediger
R G
RG
McEniff
N J
NJ
Bloom
S M
SM
Carter
B L
BL
D000328:Adult; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D001466:Barium Sulfate