Intrathoracic Postesophagectomy Stomach: The Role of Chest Sonography in Pediatric Patients

Sonography is a reliable imaging tool, complementary to plain radiography in certain pediatric chest disorders. It can assist in localizing and characterizing mediastinal, pleural, and pulmonary opacities. We have found that sonography is also valuable in elucidating postoperative chest radiography....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of ultrasound in medicine 2004-06, Vol.23 (6), p.849-852
Main Authors: Soudack, Michalle, Gaitini, Diana, Bentur, Lea
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Child, Preschool
Diagnosis, Differential
Esophagectomy
Female
General aspects
Humans
Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects)
Medical sciences
Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects)
Stomach - diagnostic imaging
Thoracic Diseases - diagnostic imaging
Thorax - diagnostic imaging
Ultrasonography
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Summary:Sonography is a reliable imaging tool, complementary to plain radiography in certain pediatric chest disorders. It can assist in localizing and characterizing mediastinal, pleural, and pulmonary opacities. We have found that sonography is also valuable in elucidating postoperative chest radiography. In this series, our objective was to assess the value of sonography for understanding the radiologic changes in the child after esophagectomy and to highlight its ability to show the intrathoracic stomach. Sonography was performed with a 5- to 12-MHz linear array transducer via anterior, lateral, and posterior intercostal approaches of the abnormal hemithorax in supine, prone, and, when necessary, upright positions. The distended fluid- or food-filled stomach was identified on sonography as the source of the undefined thoracic opacity on plain radiography in 2 patients. The postoperative pediatric chest radiograph is often difficult to understand. Sonography can differentiate between lung consolidation or pleural fluid and a food- or fluid-filled stomach. Simple maneuvers such as postural changes can confirm in the diagnosis.
ISSN:0278-4297
1550-9613
DOI:10.7863/jum.2004.23.6.849