title: Muscular hypertrophy of the left diaphragmatic crus: an unusual cause of a paraspinal "mass".
abstract: We present a case of marked muscular hypertrophy of the muscular portion of the diaphragm and of the diaphragmatic crura in a professional opera singer. In this case the right and left crus each measured 20 mm in maximum thickness. The left crus, by nature of its vertical orientation in the sagittal plane, produced marked deviation of the inferior left paraspinal line near the diaphragm mimicking a retrocrural or paraspinal mass on the posteroanterior chest radiograph. The correct diagnosis was made by computed tomography. Muscular hypertrophy of the diaphragmatic crura should be included in the differential diagnosis of retrocrural or paraspinal masses at the level of the diaphragm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington 40536-0084, USA.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Woodring
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bognar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed