The records of 90 patients with histologically proven endometrial hyperplasia (EH) were reviewed retrospectively. Eleven of these patients had pelvic ultrasound examinations available. These were compared to the pelvic ultrasound examinations of 19 patients with a histologically normal endometrium, available in 126 consecutive patients seen over the same period of time. Patients with EH had a mean endometrial thickness of 18.8 mm (range 8 mm to 45 mm) vs 5.4 mm (range 2 mm to 10 mm) in the control group. This difference in thickness was statistically significant (p much less than .01). The specificity and sensitivity of endometrial thickness in the diagnosis of EH were 100% and 81%, respectively, when 10 mm was taken as the upper limit of normal. Ultrasonographically demonstrable endometrial characteristics can differentiate EH from normal endometrium in a great majority of cases. The clinicopathological significance of EH is discussed.

Three cases of trichobezoar (12/F, 5/F, and 35/M) are reported. All patients presented with an epigastric mass and the diagnosis was not suspected clinically. They were referred for sonography which revealed a hyperechoic curvilinear dense strip at the anterior margin of the lesion associated with marked acoustic shadowing and no through transmission. Similar findings were noted in all three cases. In vitro ultrasound scans performed on the operated specimen in one case confirmed that the sonographic findings were the result of the trichobezoar mass. Diagnosis was confirmed in all the cases by barium meal and surgery.

Paraesophageal hernias are relatively rare compared to the more commonly diagnosed sliding hiatus hernia. They tend to be asymptomatic initially, but may gradually enlarge and present with life-threatening complications. The treatment is surgical reduction, preferably as an elective procedure. Computed tomography (CT) clearly demonstrates a paraesophageal hernia through a widened esophageal hiatus, often as an incidental finding, and accurately documents the size, contents, and orientation of the herniated stomach within the lower thoracic cavity. In this report, the CT appearance of 4 patients with paraesophageal hernias is described along with a discussion of this uncommon but important surgical condition.