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Non-Malignant Conditions of the sophagus

Glasgow Royal Infirmary

This excerpt was created in the absence of an abstract.

Malignancy excluded there still remain many œsophageal conditions which may give rise to symptoms and an endeavour has been made to indicate and group these in Table I.

One cannot over-emphasise the necessity of examining the œsophagus as a routine measure in the course of all radiological gastro-duodenal investigations, and where symptoms are located in the upper epigastrium or retro-sternal areas the recumbent posture should be used routinely.

The use of opaque medium in all obscure and difficult chest conditions frequently discloses abnormal œsophageal appearances.

Stricture is occasionally seen in infants and may be either partial or complete. A fistula may be present leading into the trachea and the use of barium in these lesions is deprecated by Ladd (1944) because of the tendency to aspiration pneumonia following its use. He suggests the use of a little lipiodol. Occasionally there exists a gap between the two œsophageal segments which, however, cannot be demonstrated radiologically in the absence of a gastrostomy, the performance of which may enable the stomach and lower end of the œsophagus to be outlined.

Stricture may be associated with short œsophagus and partial thoracic stomach. There seems little doubt that most of these cases are congenital, although the presence of œsophageal ulcer has been recorded in the infant, and it is possible that œsophageal shortening due to spasm of the longitudinal muscles may produce an acquired shortening. This is, however, likely to be an infrequent cause.

^* Being a paper read at the meeting of the Faculty of Radiologists, March 16, 1945.