Delayed diagnosis of diaphragmatic rupture after blunt chest trauma - 2 case reports

Diaphragmatic rupture is a rare but life-threatening condition that occurs in 0.85% of surgically managed thoracoabdominal injuries. In most cases, the condition is accompanied by associated traumas responsible for poor prognosis. Signs of diaphragmatic rupture are often masked by more serious manifestations of the associated trauma. The rupture is usually revealed by an X-ray of the chest or CT scan. However, a minor defect may be missed, especially if the patient is not indicated for urgent surgery.

The authors present 2 case reports of patients treated for chronic diaphragmatic rupture at the Department of Surgery of the Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital in Pilsen between 01 January 2009 and 31 December 2021. The aim was to analyze the clinical data and to compare this data with literature.

Both patients with the chronic diaphragmatic rupture were men in their productive age. The mechanism of their primary trauma was a traffic accident. In the first case, the rupture was diagnosed 6 years after the trauma. The second case was diagnosed 14 years after the primary trauma. The diaphragmatic rupture was present on the left side in the first case and on the right in the other. Both patients underwent suture of the diaphragmatic defect via thoracotomy.

Unrecognized diaphragmatic rupture is a severe condition that can result in a life-threatening complication, namely incarceration of abdominal organs dislocated to the chest. It is necessary to keep this diagnosis in mind in patients with gastrointestinal or respiratory problems after a previous high-energy, blunt-force abdominal and thoracic injury, even many years after the trauma.