LAUSR

A 68-year-old woman presented to the hospital with intermittent retrosternal heartburn that had been ongoing for several years. Physical examination and electrocardiogram revealed no abnormalities. A plain chest radiograph was obtained (fig 1⇓). What does the radiograph show? Fig 1  Chest radiograph The chest radiograph shows retrocardiac opacity consistent with a diagnosis of hiatal hernia. ### Discussion The differential diagnoses for a retrocardiac opacity include retromediastinal tumour, aortic aneurysm, and spinal abscess. The patient’s stable condition, mild symptoms, the presence on radiology of an air shadow (fig 2⇓, white arrow) inside the rounded opacity (fig 2⇓, black arrows), and absence of …