Congenital partial eventration of the left diaphragm

Two unusual cases of congenital partial eventration of the left diaphragm in young infants are described. In both cases the entity appeared as a space occupying lesion in the left anterior chest and was initially thought to represent pericardial cyst, mediastinal tumor, or cardiac enlargement. The left lobe of the liver occupied the eventration in both cases; one was proven at surgery, and the other was documented with a radionuclide liver scan. The radiographic features of eventration are discussed and the role of radionuclide liver scanning in infants with chest masses is emphasized.