MSSP590: TRAUMATIC CHEST WALL HERNIA; IS IT REALLY RARE?
Yaser S Selim, MD, MRCS, Ali Abdelsayed Moustafa Wadan, Specialist; Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Introduction: Lung hernia is defined as the protrusion of lung tissue covered by parietal and visceral pleurae, beyond the normal confines of thoracic cavity through an anomalous opening in the chest wall, diaphragm or mediastinum.
Case Report: A 32 years old patient presented to our ER from a battlefield with sever shortness of breath, pallor, pain and a bulging swelling in the anterior chest wall on the right side. X-ray of the chest done using portable machine, which showed a defect in the anterior chest wall about 4 cm around filled was air with no herniation of the lung tissue.
Discussion: Chest trauma is the most common cause. It was first described by Roland in 1499, and only about 300 cases have been reported in the literature since then . Lung tissue can herniate through a defect between the ribs (intercostal hernias), or through the superior thoracic aperture (supraclavicular hernias).
Conclusion: traumatic chest wall hernia is a serious injury of the chest which needs urgent management