Left-sided foramen Morgagni hernia repair

Abstract

Clinically evident hernia through the foramen of Morgagni is uncommon at any age. It is rarest of all the diaphragmatic hernias and incidence is 3–4 % of all the diaphragmatic hernias. About 90 % of Morgagni hernia occurs on the right, 8 % bilateral, and only 2 % are limited to the left. A 10-year-old child was referred to us with complaints of shortness of breath on exertion and repeated lower respiratory tract infections since age of 1 year. X-ray chest showed bowel loops in the left side of chest makes a diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia. Computerized tomogram scan of the chest showed a large defect anteriorly retrosternally on left side herniating the small bowel, large bowel, and spleen in the left chest, and the left lung was hypoplastic. Surgical repair was done through the left thoracoabdominal approach and was repaired using polypropylene mesh. Postoperative recovery was uneventful. We are reporting this case because of a rare and unusual presentation in this patient. Foramen of Morgagni hernias are detected more often in women than in men and more often in obese people than in those of average or below-average weight. Our case was a young, underweight, male child.