Management of Incidental Bochdalek Hernia in An Asymptomatic Adult: A Case Report

Bochdalek hernia is a type of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) that typically presents in childhood. It rarely occurs in adults and most of them are asymptomatic. In this article, we report a case of a 30-year-old male with left-sided Bochdalek hernia who was incidentally diagnosed on chest radiograph. His chest radiograph showed features suggestive of left-sided diaphragmatic hernia, which was confirmed using contrast enhanced Computed Tomography (CECT) of chest and abdomen. The patient underwent left thoracotomy, wherein an 8x10 cm postero-lateral diaphragmatic defect with herniation of the small bowel, spleen, part of stomach, and colon with no peritoneal sac through the opening was found. The contents were reduced into the peritoneal cavity, although a part of omentum had to be sacrificed due to loss of domain and to achieve a tension free repair. The diaphragmatic defect was closed with Dacron patch and sutured to diaphragm with non-absorbable sutures.