VOLUME 21 , ISSUE 6 ( 2017 ) > List of Articles
C. Danny Darlington, G. Fatima Shirly Anitha
Keywords : Congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intercostal chest drainage, myocardial infarction, tension pneumothorax
Citation Information : Darlington CD, Anitha GF. Rare presentation of congenital diaphragmatic hernia in a sexagenarian. Indian J Crit Care Med 2017; 21 (6):394-396.
DOI: 10.4103/ijccm.IJCCM_83_17
License: CC BY-ND 3.0
Published Online: 01-06-2018
Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2017; The Author(s).
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) usually presents in the neonatal period, and about 10% of reported cases occur in adults. The most common type is Bochdalek's hernia, which occurs through a defect in the posterolateral portion of the diaphragm with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 2500 live births. CDH in adults presents with gastrointestinal or respiratory symptoms, which can be acute or intermittent. We report a case of CDH diagnosed in a 55-year-old man, who presented with acute onset of chest pain and dyspnea with insignificant past history. This patient was initially evaluated medically for myocardial infarction followed by intercostal chest drainage placement, before a definitive diagnosis of CDH was made. This case is reported for its rarity and to highlight the high index of suspicion needed to diagnose CDH in adulthood. This is specially important as CDH, masquerades as other acute conditions in older individuals thereby delaying the diagnosis.
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