A retrospective analysis of oesophageal thickening diagnosed as an incidental finding at Computed Tomography with endoscopic and histological correlation

Purpose: A retrospective analysis of oesophageal thickening diagnosed as an incidental finding at Computed Tomography (CT) with endoscopic and histological correlation. Materials and methods: Retrospective review of CT studies at a University Teaching Hospital in a 3-month period was performed and those who had a correlating upper gastrointestinal endoscopy within 6 months of the CT were included in the study. The findings were correlated with results from endoscopy to histology. The CT images were reviewed by two Consultant Radiologists with a sub-speciality interest in Abdominal Imaging prior to correlation with endoscopic and histology results from the patient’s medical records. Results: Three hundred and sixty-one patients met the inclusion, of which 20 % (n = 72) were felt to have a thickened distal oesophagus on CT. Of these, 30.6 % (n = 22) had a mass or abnormal mucosal thickening on endoscopy, found to be malignant on subsequent biopsy in 50 % (n = 11) and Barrett’s epithelium in 50 % (n = 11), a statistically significant finding compared to those who had a normal CT. Conclusion: Endoscopic evaluation is recommended for incidental oesophageal thickening detected at Computed Tomography to exclude underlying malignancy.