Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia presenting as a tension fecopneumothorax

A traumatic diaphragmatic hernia is a well-known complication following blunt abdominal or penetrating thoracic trauma. Although the majority of cases are diagnosed immediately, some patients may present later with a diaphragmatic hernia. It occurs in approximately 3% of abdominal traumas. Diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion since diaphragmatic injury can only reliably be ruled out by direct visualization, i.e., laparoscopy. Hence, delayed presentation with complications secondary to the injury is not uncommon. We discuss a case of a young man who presented in respiratory distress 5 years after a stab wound to the left chest. The patient was hypoxic, with a chest X-ray (CXR) demonstrating a pneumothorax with effusion. A chest tube was placed with a rush of air and feculent drainage. CT scan revealed an incarcerated transverse colon in a diaphragmatic hernia. The laparotomy demonstrated necrotic colon in the chest with gross fecal contamination in the chest. The diaphragmatic defect was closed and a Hartmann’s procedure performed. The patient developed empyema in the postoperative period. Our patient is the twelfth reported case of a tension fecopneumothorax resulting from traumatic diaphragmatic herniation. This paper reviews all cases, including the diagnostic workup, operative approach, and expected postoperative course of this unusual condition.     

Two delayed cases of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia

This report concerns 2 cases with blunt traumatic hernia of the diaphragm. The diagnosis of these cases had been delayed by 1 month and 6 years, respectively. The former was a left sided case, which had suddenly suffered severe dyspnea. An emergency operation revealed the dislocated stomach into the left thoracic cavity. The latter was a right sided case, which was discovered by chance during the laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The right lobe of the liver dislocated into the right thoracic cavity. The delayed case of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia tends to be overlooked without suspicion. In all patients with thoracoabdominal blunt injury, a rupture of the diaphragm must be suspected.     

Right delayed traumatic diaphragmatic hernia; report of a case

An 80-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with abnormal shadow on chest X-ray 8 years after a chest trauma during which multiple ribs on the right side were fractured causing hemothorax. A diagnosis of right delayed traumatic diaphragmatic hernia was based on the findings on plain X-ray and multislice computed tomography. We performed surgery via thoracic approach with thoracoscopic assist. The transverse colon, liver, and omentum were dislocated into the right thoracic cavity and hardly adhered to the lung. We successfully repaired the ruptured diaphragm. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on the 33rd postoperative day.     

Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia: a continuing challenge

Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia is an uncommon but important problem in the patient with multiple injuries. Since diaphragmatic injuries are difficult to diagnose, those that are missed may present with latent symptoms of bowel obstruction and strangulation. From 1957 to 1982, we treated 41 patients with traumatic diaphragmatic hernias. In 39 patients (95%), diaphragmatic hernia followed blunt trauma. The herniation occurred on the right side in 14 patients and on the left side in 29; it was bilateral in 2. Twenty-four patients had diagnostic chest radiographs, and an additional 11 had abnormal but nondiagnostic studies. Peritoneal lavage was of little value in making the preoperative diagnosis. Twenty-three patients underwent laparotomy only, 13 required thoracotomy alone, and 5 had combined laparotomy and thoracotomy. There were 7 deaths (17%) from associated injuries. Only one missed injury was encountered; a second delayed hernia, initially treated elsewhere, was repaired 45 years after the original trauma. Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia should be suspected on the basis of an abnormal chest radiograph in the trauma victim with multiple injuries. Right-sided injuries occur more commonly than previously thought and often require dual incisions (laparotomy and thoracotomy) for diagnosis and treatment. The organization of emergency care for such patients is critical in avoiding the potential of long-term sequelae.     

创伤性膈疝28例诊治分析

目的 分析创伤性膈疝的诊治过程,总结早期诊断经验和漏诊原因,探讨治疗方法。方法 回顾分析我院2002.01~2011.10收治的创伤性膈疝患者28例病例资料。结果 本组27例患者痊愈出院,1例合并严重颅脑损伤和腹腔脏器破裂出血死于休克后多脏器功能衰竭。8例合并较严重肺挫伤患者并发呼吸衰竭,呼吸机辅助呼吸后痊愈出院。胸部切口均为甲级愈合,腹部切口感染2例,其中1例全层裂开,II期减张缝合后痊愈出院。1例局部处理后痊愈。24例随访1年,无复发,失访3例。结论 创伤性膈疝一经确诊应尽早手术治疗,同时高对创伤性膈疝发生机制的认识,减少误诊。     

Two cases of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia with atypical medical history

We have recently experienced two cases of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia which has been repaired by surgery. The first case was a 58-year-old man who had suffered left upper abdominal injury with a branch in his childhood. Although he had never symptoms, chest X-ray showed abnormal shadow in the left lower lung field. Radiologic studies indicated that the great omentum was escaped into the thoracic cavity. On patient request, we performed primary repair of the diaphragmatic hernia on thoracotomy. The second case was a 56-year-old woman who had undergone a left nephrectomy for the left renal abscess. Seven months after the operation, she began to feel nausea and vomiting, and the symptom aggravated with time. Chest X-ray showed air bubbles in the left lower lung field. It proved to be a projection of the stomach into the thoracic cavity through the iatrogenic diaphragmatic injury. We successfully performed a repairment of the diaphragm with a mesh.     

Acute abdomen due to a right-sided strangulated traumatic diaphragmatic hernia. Case report

Traumatic rupture of diaphragm is sometimes diagnosed many years after the traumatic event. Due to the silent nature of diaphragmatic injuries, the diagnosis is easily missed or difficult. We describe a rare case of right diaphragmatic hernia, in which the diagnosis was made many years after the trauma. The incidence of right diaphragmatic hernia is about 11-14% of all diaphragmatic hernias. The patient showed acute hernia of the small intestine and was treated with resection of the intestinal loop and repair of breakthrough by suture. The diagnosis was made with a standard X-ray of thorax and abdomen. CT scan and NMR give more accurate information in these cases. The surgical repair is the treatment of choice in all traumatic diaphragmatic hernias.     

Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia presenting as a tension fecopneumothorax

Abstract. Diaphragmatic injury with accompanying hernia is a well-documented complication associated with both penetrating and blunt trauma. It occurs in approximately 3% of abdominal injuries with a 2:1 ratio of penetrating to blunt trauma. Diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion since diaphragmatic injury can only reliably be ruled out by direct visualization, i.e., laparoscopy. Hence, delayed presentation with complications secondary to the injury is not uncommon. We discuss a case of a young man who presented in respiratory distress six years after a stab wound to the left chest. The patient was hypoxic, with a chest X-ray (CXR) demonstrating a pneumothorax with effusion. A chest tube was placed with a rush of air and foul-smelling purulent drainage. Work-up revealed incarcerated transverse colon in a diaphragmatic hernia. Celiotomy demonstrated necrotic colon in the chest with gross fecal contamination in both the chest and abdomen. The diaphragmatic defect was closed and a Hartmann's procedure performed. The patient did well postoperatively except for the development of an empyema, which resolved with conservative management. Our patient is the eleventh reported case of a tension fecopneumothorax resulting from traumatic diaphragmatic herniation. This paper reviews all cases including the diagnostic work-up, operative approach, and expected postoperative course of this unusual condition. Electronic Publication     

Laparoscopic repair of a chronic diaphragmatic hernia

Diaphragmatic injuries that remain undetected after an acute traumatic event may lead to the formation of a diaphragmatic hernia. Symptoms of a chronic diaphragmatic hernia are related to the incarceration of abdominal contents in the defect or to impingement of the lung, heart, or thoracic esophagus by abdominal viscera. A 49-year-old woman with a symptomatic chronic diaphragmatic hernia from an unrecognized iatrogenic injury to the left hemidiaphragm sought treatment. The diaphragmatic injury occurred 2 years earlier when a low, left-sided chest tube was placed for a persistent pleural effusion 2 weeks after a lower lobectomy for an aspergilloma. The patient's diaphragmatic hernia was diagnosed after an upper gastrointestinal series and an esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Approximately 75% of her stomach was incarcerated in the diaphragmatic defect. The diaphragmatic hernia was repaired laparoscopically using a 9 cm x 10-cm polytetrafluoroethylene patch sewn with nonabsorbable, interrupted, horizontal mattress sutures. Improvement of video technology, laparoscopic instruments, and surgical skills has allowed surgeons to expand the boundaries of advanced therapeutic laparoscopy. These factors facilitated the authors' standard tension-free prosthetic repair of a chronic diaphragmatic hernia using minimally invasive techniques.     

Successful thoracoscopic repair of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia in a child

Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia is very rare in children, and the diagnosis is often missed or delayed. Herein, we reported a 2-year-old boy who had suffered with traumatic diaphragmatic hernia due to a car crash. The child was manifested as tachypnoea without any other severe symptoms. The computed tomography scanning showed his right diaphragm was rupture. Soon, this patient was received a thoracoscopic repair surgery, and he was discharged 2 weeks later without any complication.     

Delayed traumatic diaphragmatic hernia with strangulated stomach; report of a case

A 30-year-old male who had suffered from the left hemopneumothorax due to the traffic accident 13 years before was admitted to our hospital suffering from abdominal pain. Computed tomography revealed the stomach was incarcerated through the left central tendon of the left diaphragm. He was diagnosed as delayed traumatic diaphragmatic hernia and emergency operation was performed via thoracic approach. Stomach and omentum, densely adhered to the lung and the chest wall, were strangulated in the left pleural cavity and hardly reducible. Stomach and omentum were reduced through the enlarged hernia and necrotized stomach was totally resected under the subsequent laparotomy. Hernia was closed directly via thoracic approach. A prompt diagnosis is necessary for a case highly suspicious of delayed traumatic diaphragmatic hernias presenting with strangulation.     

Tension faecopneumothorax as the rare presenting feature of a traumatic diaphragmatic hernia

A traumatic diaphragmatic hernia is a well-known complication following abdominal trauma. It occurs in approximately 3% of abdominal injuries with a 2/1 ratio of penetrating trauma. These injuries remain undiagnosed in nearly half of the patients in the acute phase. Hence, delayed presentation, days or even years after the onset of the initial trauma, are not uncommon. Indeed, they are often revealed by a complication. It's exactly what happened with our patient who presented with an acute tension fecopneumothorax, resulting from diaphragmatic herniation and perforation of the colon in the pleural cavity. This presentation is rarely reported. In a search of the literature, only 11 cases could be found.     

Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia repaired by video-assisted thoracic surgery; report of two cases

Two cases of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia treated by video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) were experienced. Both a 67-year-old female (left side) and a 44-year-old female (right side) was admitted to our hospital in a traffic accident. These patients were diagnosed as diaphragmatic hernia by chest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We tried VATS to this trauma, but the combined mini-thoracotomy for 7 cm in length was necessary to replace sliding organs for both cases. The rupture of diaphragm was repaired by direct suture of 2-0 viclyl. VATS will be recommended in the hernia of the diaphragm.     

创伤性膈疝的诊断和治疗

为了理解创伤性膈疝的临床表现、诊断要点、手术方法和预后结果,本文回顾性的分析了我院收治的11例创伤性膈疝,强调指出创伤性膈疝因常常伴有其他严重合并伤,又缺乏典型的临床表现,常导致误诊。胸部平片和胃肠造影对本病的诊断有很大帮助。本病一经确诊,均应尽早手术,经胸部切口手术适于绝大多数病人。预后主要取决于合并伤的严重程度。     

Right-sided traumatic diaphragmatic hernia

A case of post-traumatic diaphragmatic hernia on the right side in a 18-month-old child is presented. The hernia followed trivial blunt trauma sustained two months earlier. The hernia was successfully repaired by thoracotomy. The condition is rare on the right side. Diagnosis depends on clinical suspicion and skiagrams of the chest. The relevant literature is reviewed.     

Rare association of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia with spinal cord injury: A case report

Introduction and importanceThe traumatic diaphragmatic hernia could be missed in the background of spinal fractures due to neurological weakness. We report the first case of the management of thoracolumbar fracture-dislocation associated with diaphragmatic injury.Presentation of case53-year-old male transferred from local hospital following fallen from a motorbike on the 4th day after the injury. He was paraplegic from L1 below with sacral root involvement. Further imaging showed fracture-dislocation of the vertebral body at the T12-L1 level and anterior displacement of T11 on T12. The left-sided diaphragmatic hernia was detected by chest x-ray with bowel shadows in the left hemithorax. Emergency laparotomy and diaphragmatic repair followed by a posterior spinal exploration and pedicle screw fixation were done. Early mobilization was done after spinal fixation and the patient is successfully continuing rehabilitation.Clinical discussionThoracolumbar fracture-dislocation associated with the traumatic diaphragmatic hernia is rare. Clinical diagnosis of associated visceral injuries could be delayed due to the neurological deficit of the patient. An initial concern was to repair the life-threatening diaphragmatic hernia. Even current studies showed improved neurological function from early spinal surgery, spinal fixation had to delay as surgery needs a prone position.ConclusionEarly identification and management of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia are life-saving and allows early surgical intervention for the spine. Early reduction and fixation are associated with improved neurological function and will allow early mobilization and reduce hospital and ICU stay.     

Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia presenting pregnancy. A case report.

A right-sided traumatic diaphragmatic hernia was present in a woman who was 24 weeks pregnant, 8 years after a motor vehicle injury. The hernia had not been diagnosed previously. Correction of severe anaemia and surgical repair of the diaphragmatic defect were successful.     

Right diaphragmatic iatrogenic hernia after laparoscopic fenestration of a liver cyst: report of a case and review of the literature

Iatrogenic right diaphragmatic hernia is very rare. We report the first case of a patient who had a diaphragmatic hernia after laparoscopic fenestration of liver cyst. A herniorrhaphy of the diaphragmatic defect was carried out after reducing the herniated organ. The postoperative course was uneventful. Diaphragmatic hernias are not as common as the traumatic type. Surgeons can easily miss diaphragmatic injuries during the operation especially after laparoscopy. Late diagnosis of iatrogenic diaphragmatic hernias is frequent. Ct scan is helpful for diagnosis. Surgery is the treatment of diaphragmatic hernia at the time of diagnosis, even with asymptomatic patients. The incidence of iatrogenic diaphragmatic hernia after surgery may be reduced if the surgeon checks for the integrity of the diaphragm before the end of the operation. A review of the literature is also performed regarding this rare complication.     

An undiagnosed left sided traumatic diaphragmatic hernia presenting as small intestinal strangulation: A case report

INTRODUCTIONPost traumatic diaphragmatic hernia is very often missed particularly in polytrauma patients. We present case of an isolated post traumatic diaphragmatic hernia with strangulation, a very rare finding.PRESENTATION OF CASEA 35 year old man presented with features of intestinal obstruction with past history of a seemingly trivial blunt thoracic injury 15 years back. Findings of X-ray abdomen and chest with high leukocyte count raised suspicion of obstructed diaphragmatic hernia which on exploration revealed obstructed diaphragmatic hernia with gangrenous bowel segment.DISCUSSIONBlunt injury of diaphragm is relatively common and is considered as a marker of severe trauma and it can clinically be occult as other violent injuries may mask and disguise its initial clinical presentation¹ resulting in late presentation with obstruction and/or rarely strangulation. An early diagnosis of the condition is prudent to avoid morbidity and mortality associated with late presentations.CONCLUSIONIn a patient of intestinal obstruction with history of even trivial throraco- abdominal injury, diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia should be kept in mind.     

Traumatic intrapericardial diaphragmatic hernia

Fifty-eight cases of traumatic intrapericardial diaphragmatic hernia were found in the literature and another delayed case added. The majority of patients presented after traffic accidents, with cardiopulmonary or abdominal symptoms. Most of the associated lesions to the bony skeleton were on the left side of the body. Chest X-rays and contrast studies, CAT scans, and echocardiography were helpful in establishing the diagnosis. We do not consider pneumoperitoneum to be a reliable procedure, nor to be used as a diagnostic aid. In the acute phase an abdominal approach is preferred to the transthoracic approach because the complete diaphragm can be inspected and concomitant abdominal lesions dealt with. Left thoracotomy should not be performed in the acute phase to prevent errors as reported in our patient.