Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and hiatus hernia on barium swallow
Presentation
A former smoker with a long history of heartburn. An elective upper endoscopy revealed a hiatus hernia.
Patient Data
Pre-barium swallow
Control images show sternotomy surgical wires and vascular heart clips.
Barium swallow images:
Barium passes through the oesophagus reaching proximal jejunal loops without hold-up, leak, or delay.
The oesophagus shows no filling defect, outpouching, stricture, or abnormal dilatation.
Post-barium swallow
The following plain images show:
A small sliding hiatus hernia is noted.
Gastrooesophageal reflux of barium is noted reaching the mid-lower thirds of the oesophagus.
Case Discussion
A barium swallow is a diagnostic imaging test where a patient ingests a barium sulfate solution (about 350 mm in our case) to coat the oesophagus and stomach, allowing for clear X-ray visualisation of these structures to identify abnormalities such as strictures, blockages, or swallowing disorders.
Gastrooesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a chronic condition where stomach acid frequently flows back into the oesophagus, causing irritation and symptoms such as heartburn and acid regurgitation. A hiatus hernia is one of its causes.
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