BACKGROUND Bronchogenic cysts are not uncommon in either children or adults. In children, they comprise approximately 6% of all mediastinal masses. Their presentation can range from an asymptomatic incidental finding to sudden respiratory distress. CASE REPORT Video-assisted thoracoscopy was utilized to remove a bronchogenic cyst that was densely adherent to the adjacent esophagus in a child....

BACKGROUND Acute suppurative thyroiditis (AST) is a rare, life-threatening thyroid infection characterized by a tender neck mass and fever. As these features are shared with self-limited subacute thyroiditis (SAT), it is important to differentiate between the two disorders. PATIENT FINDINGS We report a case of AST in a 21-year-old woman who presented with steadily worsening throat pain for 3 ...

Esophageal perforation is a rare condition that is commonly missed. Male gender and alcohol use are predisposing risk factors. Most of the cases are iatrogenic or traumatic; nonetheless, spontaneous cases are not uncommon. It typically occurs after vomiting or straining as the increased intra-abdominal pressure transmits into the esophagus and results in the tear. One of the main complications ...

In this report, we seek to shed light on a 44-year-old Caucasian male with a known history of an esophageal diverticulum, who was transferred to our facility after an upper endoscopy at an outside hospital suggested a purulent discharge emanating from the mouth of a mid-esophageal diverticulum. A barium swallow done at the outside institution had reportedly demonstrated an 8 cm long barium coll...

Esophageal achalasia is a primary smooth muscle motility disorder specified by aperistalsis of the tubular esophagus in combination with a poorly relaxing and occasionally hypertensive lower esophageal sphincter (LES). These changes occur secondary to the destruction of the neural network coordinating esophageal peristalsis and LES relaxation (plexus myentericus). There are limited data on segm...

We report a case of a 62-year-old male who presented with shortness of breath after having undergone a modified McKeown esophagectomy 6 months after induction chemotherapy for cT3N1 adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus. A chest computed tomography demonstrated a dilated gastric conduit with evidence of hiatal obstruction and aspiration pneumonia (Fig. 1A). Patient was subsequently intubated f...

A 2-day-old boy had a soft-tissue mass in the left side of the neck. Three days after its discovery, stridor and respiratory distress developed, and it was noted that the size of the mass had increased . Softtissue views of the neck showed a cystlike structure that contained an air-fluid level and extended anteriorly and laterally to the trachea (Fig . 1). A barium esophagram showed that the ma...

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by esophageal dysfunction and eosinophilic infiltrate (≥15/hpf) in the esophageal epithelium and the absence of other potential causes of eosinophilia. The prevalence is increasing and is the most common cause of solid food dysphagia in children and young adults. This article will review the diagnosis and managemen...

PURPOSE Endoluminal application of mitomycin C shows promise as a nonsurgical approach to treating recalcitrant stricture but requires precise delivery to prevent mitomycin-mediated injury to adjacent normal mucosa. We describe a novel technique that uses a microporous polytetrafluoroethylene catheter balloon to endoluminally deliver mitomycin C to the target tissue while minimizing nontarget d...

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is an uncommon finding in young adults presenting usually without any comorbidities or an underlying pathology. It is most commonly due to alveolar rupture in the setting of an inciting event such an underlying asthma, barotrauma, valsalva maneuver, or esophageal rupture. Individuals can have varying presentations, from chest pain, dyspnea and dysphagia, to a...