Incidental Pleuroperitoneal Fold Malformation

Abstract

Pleuroperitoneal fold abnormalities are thought to be responsible for congenital diaphragmatic hernias. It has also been theorized that pleuroperitoneal fold formation may indirectly result in ciliated foregut cysts by pinching off abnormal buds from the tracheobronchial tree. Although such abnormalities are typically recognized and corrected in infancy, their severity is variable. In some cases, pleuroperitoneal fold abnormalities persist and remain essentially asymptomatic into adulthood. We report a case of suspected pleuroperitoneal fold anomaly. The patient was found to have a thick membranous sac separate from the pleura covering the diaphragm without an associated hernia during thoracotomy for drainage of an unrelated empyema and lung abscess.