The tracheoesophageal stripe is formed by the posterior wall of the

trachea The trachea, also known as the windpipe, is a cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs, allowing the passage of air, and so is present in almost all air- breathing animals with lungs. The trachea extends from the ...

and the anterior wall of the

esophagus The esophagus ( American English) or oesophagus (British English; both ), non-technically known also as the food pipe or gullet, is an organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by peristaltic contractions, from the pharynx to ...

. This line is best identified on the lateral chest x-ray. When this line is greater than 5 mm it is considered abnormal. The most common cause of a thickened tracheoesophageal stripe is esophageal carcinoma, however, lymphadenopathy likely cannot be excluded and further evaluation with additional imaging is recommended.

References

*http://www.meddean.luc.edu/lumen/MedEd/MEDICINE/PULMONAR/cxr/atlas/testripe1.htm Human head and neck {{digestive-stub