Diaphragmatic lipoma; A benign condition necessitating an aggressive management

Primary diaphragmatic lipoma (PDL) is a very rare condition. The aim of this paper is to report a case of diaphragmatic lipoma presenting as a case of diaphratmatic hernia with a brief literature review. A 73-year-old female presented with chronic dry cough for three month duration. The patient was stable, there was no significant finding on general, chest and abdominal examination. Chest-x-ray showed vague shadow above the left dome of the diaphragm. Computed tomography scan (CT scan) of the chest revealed a round mass with features consistent with either diaphragmatic hernia or malignancy. The patient underwent resection under general anesthesia and histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of PDL.

Although PDL is a benign condition, in most of the time, it needs aggressive management because of the possibility of malignancy or other critical diseases.