ABSTRACT
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is a well-described condition that occurs in about 1 in 5,000 live births. A majority of the patients are diagnosed either antenatal or will present in the first few hours of life with respiratory distress. Presentation in adults is extremely rare and accounts for about 5 to 25% of diaphragmatic hernias. Patients, who present with late diaphragmatic hernias, complain of a wide variety of symptoms and diagnosis can be difficult. It consists of herniation of bowel, and occasionally solid organs, into the chest. It is more common on the left side (seen in 80% of cases), as the liver provides a relative barrier on the right side. The major clinical problem is pulmonary hypoplasia, a result of the lung having failed to develop in utero as the thoracic cavity is filled with abdominal contents. These congenital diaphragmatic defects have also been described in the adult population, and the widespread use of computed tomography has led to the recognition that these hernias are not uncommon and are often asymptomatic.
How to cite this article
Sanjay S, Pramila VVS, Shukla AK, Nagesh R. A Rare Case of Late Presentation of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. J Med Sci 2016;2(4):65-67.