Conservative management of traumatic intercostal lung herniation in a child

Abstract

Intercostal lung herniation by non-penetrating chest wall trauma is rare in the pediatric population, and only a few cases are reported in the literature. We described a case of a post-traumatic lung herniation in a 9-year-old child, after closed chest trauma by a bicycle handlebar. The diagnosis was made with chest X-ray and mediastinal ultrasound imaging. Surgery is frequently needed to treat a lung hernia. In our case, given the small size of the lung hernia, conservative medical treatment was sufficient and effective.