title: Transesophageal two-dimensional echocardiographic identification of hiatal hernia.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA.
authors.forename: Ebenezer E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Frans
authors.forename: Navin C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Nanda
authors.forename: Vinod
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Srinivas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vengala
authors.forename: Farhat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mehmood
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Fonbah
authors.forename: Kunal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bodiwala
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006551:Hernia, Hiatal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans