Etymed
diaphragmatic hernia
Definition
A hernia that occurs when abdominal organs protrude through the diaphragm
Clinical context
A 65-year-old man presents to the emergency department with severe chest pain and difficulty breathing after a motor vehicle accident. On examination, he has decreased breath sounds on the left side with hyperresonance to percussion. A chest X-ray reveals multiple air-filled structures in the left hemithorax with displacement of the cardiac silhouette. The patient undergoes urgent surgical repair of a diaphragmatic hernia following trauma.
Mnemonic
Diaphragmatic hernias: 'Abdominal organs escape through the diaphragm, causing chest symptoms'