Transesophageal two-dimensional echocardiographic identification of hiatal hernia.
We report a case of a middle-aged woman in whom a transesophageal echocardiogram showed a mass-like lesion posteriorly near the descending thoracic aorta. We were able to make a definitive diagnosis of this mass as a hiatal hernia because of a thick inner lining measuring 6-9 mm in thickness similar to the stomach mucosa, and the presence of a few microbubbles within the mass. In addition, the microbubbles increased considerably after 10 cc of agitated normal saline flush via a nasogastric tube.
Frans
Ebenezer E
EE
Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA.
Nanda
Navin C
NC
Patel
Vinod
V
Vengala
Srinivas
S
Mehmood
Farhat
F
Fonbah
William S
WS
Bodiwala
Kunal
K
D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006551:Hernia, Hiatal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans