Intramural esophageal dissection (IED) is an uncommon disorder characterized by separation of the mucosal and submucosal layers of the esophagus. Iatrogenic intervention is the most common cause of IED, but spontaneous dissection is rare. We report an unusually complicated case of spontaneous IED that involved the full-length of the esophagus that necessitated surgical intervention due to infection of the false lumen. In this case, chest computed tomography successfully established the diagnosis and aided in pre-operative evaluation with the use of various image post-processing techniques.
Esophageal Diseases/*radiography/*surgery ; Esophagoscopy/methods ; Esophagus/injuries/radiography ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Multidetector Computed Tomography ; Rare Diseases/*radiography/*surgery ; Rupture, Spontaneous/radiography/surgery

The radiologic and clinical findings of foreign bodies in the chest of children are well recognized. Foreign bodies in adults are infrequent, however, and the radiologic findings of these unusual circumstances have rarely been described. We classified various thoracic foreign bodies into three types according to their cause: Type I, Aspiration, Type II, Trauma or Accident; Type III, Iatrogenic. This pictorial essay will illustrate the radiologic findings and consequences of thoracic foreign bodies in adults, which have rarely been described in the radiologic literature. The clinical significance of thoracic foreign bodies will be also be discussed.
Accidents ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aspiration ; Esophagus/radiography ; Female ; Foreign Bodies/*etiology/*radiography ; Heart/radiography ; Human ; Iatrogenic Disease ; Male ; Middle Age ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; *Thorax ; Wounds and Injuries/complications ; Wounds, Gunshot/complications

Oesophageal rupture is a life-threatening complication of balloon tamponade for bleeding oesophageal varices. We herein describe the clinical course and imaging findings in a 33-year-old Indian man who had a Sengstaken-Blakemore (SB) tube inserted for uncontrolled haematemesis, which was unfortunately complicated by malposition of the gastric balloon with resultant oesophageal rupture. The inflated SB tube gastric balloon was visualised within the right hemithorax on chest radiography after the SB tube insertion. Further evaluation of the thorax on computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis of oesophageal rupture associated with right-sided haemopneumothorax. It is crucial for both the referring clinician and reporting radiologist to recognise early the imaging features of an incorrectly positioned SB tube gastric balloon, so as to ensure prompt intervention and a reduction in patient morbidity and mortality.
Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Esophagus ; injuries ; Gastric Balloon ; adverse effects ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Humans ; Intubation, Gastrointestinal ; adverse effects ; instrumentation ; Male ; Radiography, Thoracic ; methods ; Rupture ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods