D P Montgomery | PubMed Health

PubMed1982

A comparison of barium sulphate preparations used for the double contrast barium meal.

Radiologists' opinions of the properties of six barium suspensions with their recommended gas-producing agents designed for upper gastrointestinal use were assessed, using a linear analogue scale. Five radiologists independently assessed mucosal coating of stomach and duodenum, areae gastricae, gaseous distension and bubble formation in a total of 258 patient examinations. Preparation 1 (EZHD) was judged to give best overall results, coating stomach and duodenum particularly well. Preparation 2 (X-Opaque) gave good distension and also coated mucosa fairly well, as did preparations 3 and 4 (Medebar XAC and Field 2C). The latter two preparations produced good distension at the expense of bubble formation. Preparations 5 and 6 (Micropaque DC and Baritop G) were judged, by comparison, to have performed poorly as regards mucosal coating. None of the preparations delineated areae gastricae well, even in the presence of good, bubble-free gastric distension.

Barium Sulfate↗

PubMed1981

Vascular rings causing pulmonary collapse.

Mediastinal vascular anomalies (rings) have not previously been reported to cause pulmonary collapse. We record two cases where anomalous subclavian arteries were involved in the ring. This association can be predicted by considering the embryology of the subclavian arteries which arise from the lowest intersegmental arteries and migrate in a cephalad direction. An anomalous subclavian artery which did not complete this migration could cross the mediastinum at the carina. Investigation of a suspected vascular ring is firstly by a barium swallow which will show extrinsic compression of the oesophagus by the anomalous vessel. Arteriography demonstrates the exact anatomy of the vascular ring, but is a pre-surgical investigation undertaken in cases where the collapsed lung may re-expand following division of the vascular ring.

Aortography↗