MUSCULAR HYPERTROPHY OF THE LEFT DIAPHRAGMATIC CRUS - AN UNUSUAL CAUSE OF A PARASPINAL MASS

We present a case of marked muscular hypertrophy of the muscular porti on of the diaphragm and of the diaphragmatic crura in a professional o pera singer. In this case the right and left crus each measured 20 mm in maximum thickness. The left crus, by nature of its vertical orienta tion in the sagittal plane, produced marked deviation of the inferior left paraspinal line near the diaphragm mimicking a retrocrural or par aspinal mass on the posteroanterior chest radiograph. The correct diag nosis was made by computed tomography. Muscular hypertrophy of the dia phragmatic crura should be included in the differential diagnosis of r etrocrural or paraspinal masses at the level of the diaphragm.