Case reports
← vista completaPublished on March 1, 2013 | http://doi.org/10.5867/medwave.2013.02.5636
Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia: case report
Hernia diafragmática postraumática: caso clínico
Abstract
Introduction. Traumatic diaphragmatic hernias occur after blunt or penetrating trauma. The case reported in this article is an incidental and unusual diagnosis in clinical practice. Case. We report a woman with a history of thoraco-abdominal trauma from a road accident that occurred 30 years ago. In the chest X-ray we found a radioopacity in the right lung base resulting from a respiratory infection. The image persisted in spite of effective treatment for the underlying respiratory condition, which made us suspect a diaphragmatic hernia corroborated by computed tomography. Discussion. A high level of suspicion is essential for the initial evaluation of patients with blunt or penetrating thoraco-abdominal trauma. Conclusions. Traumatic diaphragmatic hernias constitute a clinical challenge both for diagnosis and surgical treatment.
