BACKGROUND/AIMS: Due to widespread use of computerized tomography (CT) scan to examine patients with variable disease or complaints, detection of incidental or unsuspected gastrointestinal abnormalities are not uncommon. Clinical significance of incidentally detected bowel wall thickening (BWT) on abdominal CT scan is uncertain at present. Despite the necessity for the clinical guidelines describing the evaluation of incidental bowel wall thickening on CT scan, there have been few studies concerning these radiological abnormalities. Our objective was to determine whether endoscopic evaluation is necessary for the evaluation of these abnormal findings. METHODS: This study evaluated one hundred and forty patients with incidentally detected BWT on abdominal CT scan in Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital from 2001 to 2003. 102 patients of those were proceeded by endoscopic evaluation. Forty-eight patients had received upper endoscopy, 26 patients had colonoscopy, while 28 patients had sigmoidoscopy. RESULTS: Endoscopic work up revealed significant abnormalities in 83% of patients with incidental findings of the distal esophagus, 73% of patients with thickening of the stomach, 35% of patients with thickening of the right colon, and 71% of patients with thickening of the sigmoid colon and rectum. CONCLUSIONS: Although significant pathologic findings are less common in thickening of the right colon than other bowel wall thickening, all of these incidental findings on CT scan warrant further endoscopic evaluation.
Esophagus/radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Incidental Findings ; Intestines/pathology/*radiography ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Radiography, Abdominal ; Stomach/radiography ; *Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Adult ; Esophageal Cyst/*diagnosis/pathology ; Esophagoscopy ; Esophagus/pathology/radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Benign esophageal lesions occur in various diseases. Barium studies are useful for the evaluation of mucosal surface lesions but provide little information about the extramucosal extent of disease. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, on the other hand, permit the assessment of wall thickness, mediastinal involvement, adjacent lymphadenopathy, and distant spread. In diseases such as fibrovascular polyps, duplication cysts, scleroderma, trauma, caustic esophagitis, hiatal hernia, esophageal diverticulum, achalasia, and paraesophageal varices, the findings of imaging studies are specific, obviating the need for further invasive diagnostic work-up. The advent of helical computed tomography and its volume data set allows the acquisition of multiplanar images, and magnetic resonance imaging is useful both for this and for tissue characterization. Thus, multiplanar cross-sectional imaging further extends the role of imaging modalities to the evaluation of benign esophageal lesions. Through an awareness of the multiplanar cross-sectional appearances of various benign esophageal lesions, the radiologist can play an important role in the detection, diagnosis, further diagnostic planning, and treatment of the diseases in which they occur.
Adult ; Aged ; Esophageal Diseases/*pathology/*radiography ; Esophageal Neoplasms/*pathology/*radiography ; Esophagus/*pathology/*radiography ; Female ; Human ; Leiomyoma/*pathology/*radiography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Age ; Neurilemmoma/*radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

A giant esophageal liposarcoma showing rapid growth over 7 months is presented in 56-year-old man. It originated from the pharyngo-esophageal junction with a short stalk, and extended downward to the distal esophagus. A barium swallow study showed a large, sausage-like intraluminal mass in the dilated esophagus. CT and MR imaging showed a heterogeneous mass with a fatty component in the esophagus. A total laryngopharyngo-esophagectomy was performed and the histological diagnosis was of a well-differentiated liposarcoma.
Esophageal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology ; Esophagus/radiography ; Human ; Liposarcoma/*diagnosis/pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to describe and compare the radiologic findings of esophageal leiomyomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chest radiographic (n = 12), esophagographic (n = 12), CT (n = 12), and MR (n = 1) findings of surgically proven esophageal leiomyomas in 12 consecutive patients [ten men and two women aged 34 - 47 (mean, 39) years] were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The tumors, surgical specimens of which ranged from 9 to 90 mm in diameter, were located in the upper (n = 1), middle (n = 5), or lower esophagus (n = 6). In ten of the 12 patients, chest radiography revealed the tumors as mediastinal masses. Esophagography showed them as eccentric, smoothly elevated filling defects in 11 patients and a multilobulated encircling filling defect in one. In 11 of the 12 patients, enhanced CT scans revealed a smooth (n = 9) or lobulated (n = 2) tumor margin, and attenuation was homogeneously low (n = 7) or iso (n = 4). In one patient, the tumor signal seen on T2-weighted MR images was slightly high. CONCLUSION: Esophageal leiomyomas, located mainly in the middle or distal esophagus, are consistently shown by esophagography to be mainly eccentrically elevated filling defects and at CT, lesions showing homogeneous low or isoattenuation are demonstrated.
Adult ; Comparative Study ; Esophageal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/radiography ; Esophagus/pathology ; Female ; Human ; Leiomyoma/*diagnosis/radiography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Age ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Esophagus ; pathology ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Infant ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Trachea ; pathology ; Tracheoesophageal Fistula ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; surgery

Mediastinal tuberculous lymphadenitis is rare in adults, and it is even rarer for dysphagia to be the presenting symptom of mediastinal tuberculous lymphadenitis. Mediastinal tuberculous lymphadenitis with esophageal symptoms has been presented as esophageal ulceration, mucosal or submucosal mass with ulceration, fistula or sinus formation, extrinsic compression, or displacement of the esophagus. An exaggerated form of extrinsic compression may be presented as a submucosal tumor, radiologically or endoscopically. A barium esophagography of a 34 year-old woman with painful dysphagia revealed a large submucosal tumor-like mass on the mid-esophagus. The symptom was spontaneously improved over a 3-week period together with reduction of the mass size. A computed tomography of the chest disclosed an enlarged subcarinal lymph node and histologic examination of the specimen obtained by thoracoscopic biopsy brought about a diagnosis of tuberculosis. We herein report a case of mediastinal tuberculosis with unusual manifestations.
Adult ; Case Report ; Deglutition Disorders/*etiology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Esophageal Neoplasms/*diagnosis ; Esophagoscopy ; Esophagus/pathology/radiography ; Female ; Human ; Mediastinal Diseases/*complications/*diagnosis ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node/*complications/*diagnosis

Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is a common infectious disease worldwide. However, mediastinal tuberculous lymphadenitis complicated by oesophageal involvement and oesophago-respiratory fistula is now uncommon due to improved anti-tuberculous regimes and better general awareness. The overall incidence of acquired oesophago-respiratory fistula due to infection is low, and therefore, the lesion is not often a frontrunner in differential diagnosis. Still, tuberculous oesophago-respiratory fistulae can potentially occur in patients with retroviral disease, as they tend to have atypical and more virulent manifestations. In this study, we report the case of multiple oesophago-respiratory fistulae in a patient with PTB and retroviral disease, and highlight the computed tomography features of these lesions as an atypical presentation of PTB in retroviral disease. Clinicians should suspect oesophago-respiratory fistulae if patients present with Ono’s sign, and remain particularly vigilant for patients with underlying PTB and retroviral disease, as early diagnosis and treatment could help to reduce mortality.
Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Esophagus ; physiopathology ; Fistula ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Lung ; pathology ; Male ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Retroviridae ; metabolism ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Trachea ; physiopathology ; Treatment Outcome ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; complications ; diagnosis