The aim was to detect the presence of bundles of collagen fibers in the margins of the esophageal hiatus and establish if there is any relationship of these bundles with the anatomy of the hiatus. Ten adult male cadavers, with no gross anatomical alteration caused by trauma, surgery or disease, upon the esophageal hiatus were used in the study. A piece of anatomical structure comprising the diaphragm with the esophageal hiatus and adjacent tissues was removed, dissected and 10% formol embedding. With the aid of a digital caliper, measurements of the perimeter of the esophageal hiatus were done both in the abdominal and thoracic sides. For the structural study each margin was divided in six sections. Staining techniques of Masson and Picrosirius-hematoxilin... |