Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Apr 2:7:89.
doi: 10.1186/1752-1947-7-89.

Intrathoracal cholecystitis calculosa in a right-sided posttraumatic diaphragmatic hernia: a case report

Laura L Tahiri  1 , Afrim Tahiri, Rifat Bajrami, Shpresa Hasimja, Antigona Hasani
Affiliations

Intrathoracal cholecystitis calculosa in a right-sided posttraumatic diaphragmatic hernia: a case report

Laura L Tahiri et al. J Med Case Rep. .

Abstract

Introduction: Injuries of the diaphragm were first described in 1541 by Sennertus and the initial repair was performed by Riolfi in 1886. Posttraumatic diaphragmatic hernia in adults is usually caused by blunt trauma and may remain asymptomatic and undiagnosed for many years. Right-sided tears are significantly less likely than left-sided tears because of the protective effect of the liver. They are associated with high mortality and morbidity. The rupture of the right side of the diaphragm and the presence of an inflamed gallbladder in the thoracic cavity are uncommon.

Case presentation: We present the case of a 57-year-old Albanian man with prolapses of his gallbladder and other abdominal organs into the thoracic cavity through the herniation of his right hemidiaphragm due to trauma. The diaphragmatic hernia and gallstones seen in the thorax computed tomography scan were diagnostic. The organs herniated to the thoracic cavity were placed back into the abdominal cavity, a cholecystectomy was performed and the defect in the diaphragm was repaired with a prolene mesh graft during the operation. The patient was discharged 10 days after the surgical procedure, and no complications were reported.

Conclusion: Diaphragmatic hernia should be considered as a possible diagnosis in patients with respiratory disorders or unusual shadows in the thoracic region after recently sustained injury or with a history of injury. The prolapse of a gallbladder is rare. The symptoms are uncharacteristic and patients with this disease may remain without symptoms for a long period. Treatment is surgical.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chest X-ray showing elevation of the right hemidiaphragm.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Computed tomography (CT) scan showing intrathoracal displacement of two-thirds of the liver.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Computed tomography (CT) scan showing intrathoracal displacement of the cholecyst with three stones.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Goh BK, Wong AS, Tay KH, Hoe MN. Delayed presentation of a patient with a ruptured diaphragm complicated by gastric incarceration and perforation after apparently minor blunt trauma. CJEM. 2004;6:277–280. - PubMed
    1. Harris HW. In: Surgery: Basic Science and Clinical Evidence. 2. Norton JA, Barie PS, editor. New York: Springer Science+Business Media; 2008. Biliary system; pp. 911–942.
    1. Faul JL. Diaphragmatic rupture presenting forty years after injury. Injury. 1998;29:479–480. doi: 10.1016/S0020-1383(98)00082-5. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Meyers BF, McCabe CJ. Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia. Ann Surg. 1993;218:783–790. doi: 10.1097/00000658-199312000-00013. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hejmdal A, Dakhil A, Boel T. Diaphragmatic hernia-admitted under the gallstone diagnosis. Ugeskr Laeger. 2009;171:33–34. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources