Delayed discovery of diaphragmatic injury after blunt trauma: report of three cases

Blunt diaphragmatic injury is an increasingly common occurrence, frequently associated with considerable comorbidity. This injury is often missed at the time of the initial event, but may present some time later. We report three cases of diaphragmatic injury diagnosed 3 weeks, 6 months, and 12 years after the original diaphragmatic injury, respectively. Two of the injuries resulted from side-impact road traffic accidents and one followed a fall from a height. Gastrointestinal obstruction and respiratory compromise were the major presenting symptoms. All three patients were managed with a thoracotomy and the defect was closed without the need for prosthetic mesh. They all recovered uneventfully and have remained well since.