Rare case report - congenital diaphragmatic hernia presentation in adult

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) which mainly occurs in the newborn or in childhood with severe respiratory distress and high mortality, is rarely found in adults (Yamaguchi et al. Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 8:106-108, 2002; Dalencourt and Katlic Ann Thorac Surg 82:721-722, 2006; Fraser et al. Endosc Percutan Tech 19: e5-e7, 2009; Kanazawa et al. Surg Today 32:812-815, 2002). These patients are been accustomed to adjust their lifestyle to manage symptoms associated with frank herniation of the large bowel and liver inside the diaphragmatic hernial sac. Bowel above the liver surface especially the transverse colon is suggestive of a Chilaiditi's syndrome in these group of patients. Diagnostic laparoscopy plays an important role for diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia in some cases over other investigations like CT scan and ultrasonography. Chilaiditi's syndrome has no surgical line of treatment but a symptomatic diaphragmatic hernia requires surgical correction. Liver as the main hernial content has been reported only in three cases throughout the world (Goh et al. Am J Surg 194: 390-391, 2007; Luo et al. Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int 6: 219-221, 2007; Bosenberg and Brown RA Curr Opin Anaesthesiol 21: 323-331, 2008). A case of a 27 year old female patient presenting with a symptomatic congenital diaphragmatic hernia is reported.