Question:medium

Dye used in the diagnosis of esophageal perforation:

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Leaked barium causes mediastinitis, so the first agent must be water-soluble.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
  • Iohexol
  • Barium sulphate
  • Gadolinium
  • Iodine dye
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: The clinical question is which contrast is safe when the esophageal wall may be breached. A perforation means contrast can spill into the chest. Step 2: Think about what happens to each agent after a leak. Barium that escapes the lumen stays in the tissues and triggers chronic mediastinitis and fibrosis, so it is contraindicated as the first agent in a suspected tear. Step 3: A water-soluble iodinated dye is reabsorbed by serosal surfaces if it leaks, so it is the preferred screening agent. Among the choices, Iohexol is exactly that water-soluble non-ionic iodinated contrast. Step 4: Gadolinium belongs to MRI, not fluoroscopic swallow studies, and a generic "iodine dye" is not an accepted named oral preparation. Barium is reserved for after a negative water-soluble study. Therefore the correct diagnostic dye is Iohexol. $Iohexol = water\text{-}soluble\ iodinated\ contrast$ \[\boxed{\text{Iohexol}}\]
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