Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

This image shows extrinsic compression of the stomach by and abdominal aortic aneurysm. The diaphragm is an important skeletal muscle for both respiration and contributing to the GE junction. In normal anatomy the esophagus comes through the esophageal hiatus to the GE junction just below the diaphragm where the transition to the stomach occurs. Coursing more and more in line and posterior to the esophagus is the descending aorta which comes through the diaphragm at the aortic hiatus. The aorta then courses behind the stomach and midline until it bifurcates into the iliac arteries. This patient had a abdominal aortic aneurysm that can be seen as a pulsating extrinsic mass on EGD.