It is a frequent observation that symptoms and the roentgenologic findings of hiatus esophageal hernia appear and disappear over varying periods of time and in response to certain conditions. Several years ago von Bergmann¹wrote of "free hiatus hernia," and Hurst²of "recurrent hiatus hernia," but neither attracted the attention which their communications warranted. As Levy³stated, "We have observed, not infrequently, the presence of a hernia fluoroscopically and also demonstrated it upon a film, only to find it impossible to locate any hernia at another examination." Any program for the management of this condition demands some consideration of why such a herniation should occur and under what conditions it should appear and disappear. OBSERVATIONS FROM THE LITERATURE It would seem improbable that any congenital shortening of the esophagus could play a large part in the production of a condition which is infrequent before the age of
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Nils Gilbert (1946) studied this question.