Esophago-gastric invagination in patients with sliding hiatus hernia

Intussusception of the distal esophagus into a reducible hiatus hernia is described in nine female and three male patients. The main radiographic feature is demonstration of a lobulated fundal mass of changeable size and configuration surrounding the narrowed distal esophageal segment. This pseudotumor is produced by inversion of the hiatus hernia into the stomach, and may be mistaken for a neoplasm. Disinvagination invariably occurs when maneuvers directed toward demonstration of a sliding hernia are utilized during upper gastrointestinal fluoroscopy. It is emphasized that esophago-gastric invagination frequently accounts for masses shown in the cardia of older women with intermittent dysphagia and crampy epigastric pain.