A case of colon necrosis resulting from a delayed traumatic diaphragmatic hernia

Abstract

We present the case of a 71 years old woman who came at the emergency room for abdominal pain and symptoms of occlusion. The scanner demonstrated a colonic occlusion resulting from an incarceration, diagnosed as a hernia of Bochdalek. But two old rib fractures and a past history of a fall directed us to the diagnostic of delayed diaphragmatic rupture. The patient was operated in emergency and post-operative follow-up was simple. Traumatic diaphragmatic hernias are rarely diagnosed directly after trauma. Complications such as pneumonia, occlusion, enteric ischemia, visceral perforation and twisting of splenic hilium can occur many years after the trauma. This is why, for patients with intestinal obstruction or association of pulmonary abdominal symptoms and history of thoraco-abdominal injury, the diagnostic of diaphragmatic hernia should be considered. When patients present complications, there is a higher rate of morbidity and mortality (31%) reason why, emergency surgery is mandatory.