Locked lung by looped hernia: a case report
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Updated: Jun 26, 2026
Thoracoscopic Extended Right Middle Plus Lower Sleeve Lobectomy for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Published on: February 27, 2026
Abu-Ahmed Z Rahman1, Mukta Panda
1Department of Internal Medicine; UTCOM, Chattanooga, 960 East Third Street Suite 200, White Hall Building, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA. abu.z.rahman@gmail.com.
Background:
Large pleural effusions are usually symptomatic. We report a patient with asymptomatic massive left sided pleural effusion with left lung collapse secondary to a traumatic diaphragmatic hernia.
Case Presentation:
A 44 year old male presented with recurrent pleural effusions over six weeks. His pleural effusion was first diagnosed incidentally on a chest X-ray after a fall. Extensive diagnostic studies were unyielding for the etiology of the effusion. A diagnostic and therapeutic video assisted thoracoscopy revealed a diaphragmatic hernia with inflamed, incarcerated omentum. After hernia repair there was no recurrence.
Conclusion:
This case underscores the obscure presentation of an incarcerated diaphragmatic hernia presenting as massive recurrent pleural effusions.
