Incarcerated spontaneous transdiaphragmatic intercostal hernia

Prolapse of abdominal viscera into the thoracic subcutis through the chest wall is known as transdiaphragmatic intercostal hernia (TIH). Herein, we present the first case of spontaneous TIH presenting as a thoracoabdominal emergency.

A 78-year-old male presented with acute left thoracoabdominal pain following a sudden bulge at the left posterolateral chest wall corresponding to a partially reducible soft tissue mass with ecchymosis at the overlying skin. Paroxysmal cough during the last four days was also reported along with a prolonged daily application of a special tight abdominal belt that used while milking sheep. CT-scan of the abdomen showed intrathoracic proptosis of the splenic flexure through a defect of the left hemidiaphragm and subcutaneous prolapse of the herniated colon through the 7th intercostal space. On laparotomy, the herniated colon showed signs of ischemic necrosis leading to segmental colectomy followed by repair of the diaphragmatic defect.

The clinical diagnosis of spontaneous TIH demands very high index of suspicion and thorough patient's history. In this case the daily elevation of the intraabdominal pressure due to an abdominal milking belt might have caused gradual slimming and loosening of the diaphragm and the intercostals muscles rendering them vulnerable to sudden increases of the thoracoabdominal pressure due to violent coughing. Such a hypothesis is reasonable in the absence of traumatic injury in this patient.

Spontaneous TIH should be suspected in patients presenting with a sudden palpable chest wall bulge and associated thoracoabdominal symptoms in the absence of preceding injury.