A Case of Late Presenting Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

Song, Ji Eun; Kwon, Oh Kun; Kim, Young Ho; Lee, Hae Ran

Abstract

Congenital diaphragmatic hernias (CDH) usually cause respiratory distress soon after birth and are associated with a high mortality rate in the early postnatal period. However, there is a milder form of CDH that does not manifest during the neonatal period. The late presenting CDH is characterized by a variable clinical picture. We present the case of an otherwise healthy 5-month-old girl, who was referred for evaluation of an 1-day history of vomiting and irritability. Chest simple X-ray and CT showed bowel loops in the left thoracic cavity, which was consistent with diaphragmatic hernia. At operation, she was found to have a small left posterolateral diaphagmatic defect with viable small bowel loops in the left thoracic cavity. After surgical reposition of the hernia, the symptoms such as vomiting and irritability subsided. The lack of typical manifestation of CDH such as respiratory distress may lead to delayed diagnosis. The possibility of late presenting CDH should not be overlooked even after the neonatal period.