Strangulated traumatic diaphragmatic hernia simulating a subphrenic abscess

Management of complicated diaphragmatic hernia in the acute setting: a WSES position paper

BACKGROUND

Diaphragmatic hernia (DH) presenting acutely can be a potentially life-threatening condition. Its management continues to be debatable.

METHODS

A bibliographic search using major databases was performed using the terms "emergency surgery" "diaphragmatic hernia," "traumatic diaphragmatic rupture" and "congenital diaphragmatic hernia." GRADE methodology was used to evaluate the evidence and give recommendations.

RESULTS

CT scan of the chest and abdomen is the diagnostic gold standard to evaluate complicated DH. Appropriate preoperative assessment and prompt surgical intervention are important for a clinical success. Complicated DH repair is best performed via the use of biological and bioabsorbable meshes which have proven to reduce recurrence. The laparoscopic approach is the preferred technique in hemodynamically stable patients without significant comorbidities because it facilitates early diagnosis of small diaphragmatic injuries from traumatic wounds in the thoraco-abdominal area and reduces postoperative complications. Open surgery should be reserved for situations when skills and equipment for laparoscopy are not available, where exploratory laparotomy is needed, or if the patient is hemodynamically unstable. Damage Control Surgery is an option in the management of critical and unstable patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Complicated diaphragmatic hernia is a rare life-threatening condition. CT scan of the chest and abdomen is the gold standard for diagnosing the diaphragmatic hernia. Laparoscopic repair is the best treatment option for stable patients with complicated diaphragmatic hernias. Open repair is considered necessary in majority of unstable patients in whom Damage Control Surgery can be life-saving.

Open abdomen in the management of complicated diaphragmatic hernia: a case report

Diaphragmatic hernia (DH) can be congenital or acquired. DH is a potentially life-threatening condition and the management in emergency setting remain unclear. Nonspecific symptoms can delay the diagnosis. We report a case of a 63-year-old man admitted for abdominal pain and nausea. He was successfully treated with damage control surgery.

Imaging of diaphragmatic rupture after trauma

Traumatic rupture of the diaphragm usually results from blunt or penetrating injuries, or iatrogenic causes. Most cases are initially overlooked in the acute phase because they present with variable clinical and radiological signs. An overlooked diaphragmatic injury presents as a hernia many years later with potentially serious complications, therefore selection of the most appropriate radiological technique and accurate diagnosis of traumatic diaphragmatic hernias (DH) on the first admission is important. Although the diagnosis of diaphragmatic injuries is problematic, various investigations may be used for diagnosis. We describe the imaging findings of 19 traumatic DH cases with various imaging techniques. The patients were acute trauma cases or cases with prior trauma or thoraco-abdominal surgery with clinical suspicion of DH. An evaluation of the imaging techniques used in the diagnosis of DH is presented.

Diaphragmatic hernia: diagnostic approaches with review of the literature

Because surgical repair is indicated for the treatment of diaphragmatic hernia (DH), preoperative imaging of the diaphragmatic defect, hernia content, and associated complications with other organ's pathologies is important. While various techniques can be used on imaging of DHs, selection of the most effective but the least invasive technique will present the most accurate findings about DH, and will facilitate the management of DH. We reviewed the diaphragmatic hernia types associated with our cases, and we discussed the preferred imaging modalities for different DHs with review of the literature. We evaluated the imaging findings of 21 DH cases. They were Morgagni's hernia (n=4), Bochdalek hernia (n=2), iatrogenic DH (n=4), traumatic DH (n=6), and hiatal hernia (n=5). Although its limited findings on DH and indirect findings about the diaphragmatic rupture, plain radiography is firstly preferred technique on DH. We found that ultrasound (US) is a useful tool on DH, on traumatic DH cases especially. Not only it shows diaphragmatic continuity and herniated organs, but also it reveals associated abdominal organ's pathologies. Computed tomography (CT) scan is most effective in many DH cases. It shows the herniated abdominal organs together with complications, such as intestinal strangulation, haemothorax, and rib fractures. We stressed that Multislice CT scan with coronal and sagittal reformatted images is the most effective and useful imaging technique on DH. With high sensitivity for soft tissue, MR imaging may be performed in the selected patients, on the late presenting DH cases or on the cases of the diagnosis still in doubt especially.