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Intramural esophageal dissection (IED) is a rare clinical entity involving a mucosal injury and creation of a true and false lumen within the esophagus. We report on a case of IED caused by repeated vomiting due to a small bowel obstruction associated with a small amount of pneumomediastinum on CT. IED has traditionally been believed not to be associated with esophageal perforation. Our case adds to the few reported instances where IED has been associated with extraluminal air leakage, the mildest form of esophageal perforation and demonstrates imaging not previously published in the radiology literature. Our case was successfully managed conservatively.

We report an approach for fabricating biomimetic surface replicas of cells with nanoscale resolution. Fixed cells serve as a template for a two-stage replica molding process. Cast from the template, the impression replica contains a reproduction of cellular topographical features indented into its surface, and cast from the impression replica, the relief replica contains a copy of these features protruding from its surface. Various polymers and cells can be utilized, and scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and white light interferometry analyses confirm the replication of nanoscale features. These replicas are useful for investigating cellular function and for biomimetic tissue engineering.