Surgical repair of intercostal pulmonary hernia secondary to cough induced rib fracture

Intercostal pulmonary hernia, a protrusion of lung parenchyma with overlying pleural membranes through an abnormal defect in the thoracic cage, is an uncommon phenomenon. Rib fractures caused by coughing similarly represent an infrequently occurring clinical presentation. Pulmonary herniation through an intercostal defect caused by cough fractures has been described twice in the literature to our knowledge. We present a case of pulmonary herniation secondary to cough fracture in a chronic bronchitic, successfully treated by thoracotomy with application of the basic principles of hernia repair, and a discussion of the mechanisms of injury.