We describe the case of an asymptomatic 66 year-old man with a giant p
araesophageal hernia including colonic migration into the chest, respo
nsible for the appearance of a bilateral anterior mediastinal mass on
the chest radiograph. We would like to emphasise that this radiologic
pattern could lead to misdiagnosing, due to the bilateral air-fluid le
vel in the chest, close to the heart, Pericardial (effusion, cyst), br
onchogenic (cyst), as well as esophageal (diverticula) diseases should
be considered in the differential diagnosis, although the paucity of
symptoms in our patient makes all of these syndromes unlikely to occur
, It should also be emphasised that the esophagram can help differenti
al diagnosis between mediastinic organs responsible for the pattern sh
own in the chest radiograph.