Open AccessHuge post-traumatic diaphragmatic hernia remained asymptomatic for 14 years. A case report
Author(s) -
Serafeim Chlapoutakis,
Vassileios Vassileiadis
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
indian journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery/indian journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.114
H-Index - 9
eISSN - 0973-7723
pISSN - 0970-9134
DOI - 10.1007/s12055-018-0658-7
Subject(s) - medicine , asymptomatic , surgery , thoracotomy , diaphragmatic breathing , diaphragmatic hernia , dissection (medical) , abdominal surgery , hernia , blunt , cardiothoracic surgery , general surgery , alternative medicine , pathology
A 27-year-old male had an abdominal violation in a prison 14 years before the display of his symptoms and was misdiagnosed as massive haemothorax. The patient remained asymptomatic for 14 years and his symptoms were only a mild dyspnoea and mild dysphagia. This patient had a huge chronic postdiaphragmatic hernia with most of the abdominal organs in the left hemithorax. A left thoracotomy was performed and a mesh was used to close the huge posttraumatic diaphragmatic hernia (diameter of 15 cm), after repositioning the abdominal organs. The left lung was completely consolidated and required dissection of multiple adhesions and high pressure manual ventilation to reexpand normally. Blunt post-traumatic diaphragmatic ruptures may be misdiagnosed and become chronic asymptomatic hernias for several years. Once they become symptomatic, they have to be treated as soon as possible as major organ injuries may be hidden.