Assessment of hiatus defect size in hiatal hernia patients using computed tomography

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the hiatus defect diameter by measuring on multi-detector computed tomography images in hiatal hernia patients.

Methods: The multi-detector computed tomography images of 50 patients and 50 individuals in control group included in this study were investigated. The hiatus surface area (cm²), hiatus antero-posterior and transverse diameters (cm), and the thickness of both diaphragmatic crura (mm) were measured by reformatting contrast-enhanced thoraco-abdomino-pelvic computed tomography images using the region of interest method.

Results: In this study, a significant difference was obtained among groups according to hiatus surface area, hiatus antero-posterior, and transverse diameter measurements, and both left and right diaphragmatic crural thickness measurements (P<0.001). In the patient group, the cut-off values were determined by using ROC analysis, and the values above these cut-off values enabled a hernia diagnosis with high sensitivity and specificity.

Conclusions: Measuring the hiatus surface area on multi-detector computed tomography images could serve as a supplementary criterion for diagnosing of hiatal hernia.

Keywords

• Computed tomography
• gastroesophageal reflux
• hiatal hernia
• hiatal surface area

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