[Diagnosis of traumatic hernia of the right hemidiaphragm. Considerations on a case]

Rupture of the right hemidiaphragm is an unusual event and often misunderstood. Failure to diagnose this lesion in the acute stage, in addition to contributing to its high mortality, means that it frequently becomes apparent only months or even years after the event. Even at this late stage, diagnosis is not always easy, especially when the history is not correctly weighed and proper investigation is thus lacking. Pneumoperitoneum and liver scintiscanning are recommended in this respect. A recently observed case is presented as a more or less typical example of this rare disease.