GENERAL HISTOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Conclusion The appearance and thickness of normal esophageal wall varies at each segment on CT images. Normal esophagus has a wall thickness around 5 mm in contraction status, 3 mm in dilatation and roughly no more than 5.5 mm in both status.

Detailed explanation-2: -Submucosa. The submucosa contains connective tissue as well as lymphocytes, plasma cells, nerve cells (Meissner’s plexus), vascular network (Heller plexus), and mucous glands. The esophageal glands are small racemose glands (which have acini arranged like grapes on a stem) of mucous type.

Detailed explanation-3: -Accurate description of the esophageal mural thickening will encourage referring physicians to consider infection, inflammation, and neoplasm – rather than fibrotic stricture or abnormal motility – as the cause of any dysphagia reported by the patient.

Detailed explanation-4: -The connective tissue of the submucosa consists of mostly collagenous fibers with some elastic fibers and varying amounts of fat as well as submucosal sero-mucous glands which can be readily observed in both slide 126 View Image and slide 153 View Image (those in slide 155 are not very well preserved).