Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Coping
A diaphragmatic hernia is a hole in yourdiaphragm, the muscle located below the lungs that helps you inhale and exhale.
When this type of hole occurs, it allows part of the organs from your belly to move into the chest cavity near your lungs. The problem can cause severe breathing problems. Without treatment, it can threaten your life.
This problem often occurs as acongenital condition(present at birth), so it most often affects newborns. Less often, it can impact children or adults due to severe trauma. Surgery is the most common treatment.
This article describes diaphragmatic hernia causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and outlook.
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Types of Diaphragmatic Hernia
A diaphragmatic hernia can be either congenital or acquired later in life. These hernias are further classified based on their location within the diaphragm. They include the following types:
Diaphragmatic Hernia Symptoms
Symptoms of a Bochdalek hernia appear soon after birth and can include the following:
These symptoms may also occur with acquired diaphragmatic hernia.
Symptoms of a Morgagni diaphragmatic hernia may or may not appear immediately. The problem can cause nonspecific symptoms that could be due to other conditions as well, such as dyspepsia (indigestion) or excess flatulence in adults. If the problem becomes severe, it can causebowel obstruction.
What Causes Diaphragmatic Hernia?
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia
There is no known cause of congenital diaphragmatic hernias, which occur as a birth defect in infants. While the infant’s diaphragm is still developing, organs such as the stomach, spleen, small intestine, liver, or kidney may take up part of the chest cavity. Having a parent or sibling with the condition increases an infant’s risk of having it.
Researchers believe that the condition may be related to abnormalities in the genes of affected infants. They may be linked to genetic conditions likeDown syndrome(trisomy21) andcongenital heart disease.
In the United States, diaphragmatic hernias occur in about 1 in every 36,000 babies. About 30% to 50% of those born with the condition also have birth defects that affect other organs, such as their brain, heart, or intestines.
The problem usually involves only one side of the diaphragm, which is usually the left side. The affected side’s lung tissue and blood vessels also remain underdeveloped, but it’s unknown if one problem causes the other.
Acquired Diaphragmatic Hernia
Your healthcare provider may use one of the following tests to diagnose a problem that looks like a congenital diaphragmatic hernia during pregnancy:
When a congenital diaphragmatic hernia isn’t diagnosed during pregnancy, the following tests may be done immediately after birth to diagnose symptoms such as labored breathing:
Diagnosis of an acquired diaphragmatic hernia is usually made with an imaging test of the abdomen and pelvis, using the following:
Congenital and acquired diaphragmatic hernias usually require urgent surgery using open or minimally invasive techniques. Surgery is done to repair the opening in the diaphragm and return the misplaced abdominal organs to their proper position.
Treatment of a congenital diaphragmatic hernia varies based on an infant’s unique needs. The primary determining factor in treatment is the development of the infant’s lungs. Other factors, including their symptoms, additional congenital conditions, and general health, can affect their treatment.
Herniorrhaphy: What to Expect with Hernia Repair Surgery
In the United States, advances have allowed up to 70% to 92% of infants with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia to survive. Ongoing problems with breathing, feeding, development, and growth are likely.
Summary
The issue allows part of your abdominal organs to move into the chest cavity. As these organs become displaced, it can also hinder the normal function of your lungs, heart, or intestines. This makes the problem a medical emergency that requires prompt treatment.
While the problem mainly involves newborns, it can also affect older children and adults. In these cases, it often occurs as a result of trauma. Treatment requires surgery to repair the hole. The organs are also returned to their proper places.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.Diaphragmatic hernia in children.Northwestern Medicine.Symptoms of disorders of the diaphragm.Loong TPF, Kocher HM.Clinical presentation and operative repair of hernia of Morgagni.Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2005;81(951):41-44. doi:10.1136/pgmj.2004.022996Penn Medicine.Diaphragmatic hernia.Columbia Surgery.Diaphragmatic hernias.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diaphragmatic hernia.Theodorou CM, Jackson JE, Beres AL, Leshikar DE.Blunt traumatic diaphragmatic hernia in children: a systematic review.Journal of Surgical Research. 2021;268:253-262. doi:10.1016/j.jss.2021.07.011Boston Children’s Hospital.Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).University of Florida Health.Diaphragmatic hernia.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.Diaphragmatic hernia in children.Northwestern Medicine.Symptoms of disorders of the diaphragm.Loong TPF, Kocher HM.Clinical presentation and operative repair of hernia of Morgagni.Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2005;81(951):41-44. doi:10.1136/pgmj.2004.022996Penn Medicine.Diaphragmatic hernia.Columbia Surgery.Diaphragmatic hernias.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diaphragmatic hernia.Theodorou CM, Jackson JE, Beres AL, Leshikar DE.Blunt traumatic diaphragmatic hernia in children: a systematic review.Journal of Surgical Research. 2021;268:253-262. doi:10.1016/j.jss.2021.07.011Boston Children’s Hospital.Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).University of Florida Health.Diaphragmatic hernia.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.Diaphragmatic hernia in children.Northwestern Medicine.Symptoms of disorders of the diaphragm.Loong TPF, Kocher HM.Clinical presentation and operative repair of hernia of Morgagni.Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2005;81(951):41-44. doi:10.1136/pgmj.2004.022996Penn Medicine.Diaphragmatic hernia.Columbia Surgery.Diaphragmatic hernias.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diaphragmatic hernia.Theodorou CM, Jackson JE, Beres AL, Leshikar DE.Blunt traumatic diaphragmatic hernia in children: a systematic review.Journal of Surgical Research. 2021;268:253-262. doi:10.1016/j.jss.2021.07.011Boston Children’s Hospital.Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).University of Florida Health.Diaphragmatic hernia.
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.Diaphragmatic hernia in children.
Northwestern Medicine.Symptoms of disorders of the diaphragm.
Loong TPF, Kocher HM.Clinical presentation and operative repair of hernia of Morgagni.Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2005;81(951):41-44. doi:10.1136/pgmj.2004.022996
Penn Medicine.Diaphragmatic hernia.
Columbia Surgery.Diaphragmatic hernias.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diaphragmatic hernia.
Theodorou CM, Jackson JE, Beres AL, Leshikar DE.Blunt traumatic diaphragmatic hernia in children: a systematic review.Journal of Surgical Research. 2021;268:253-262. doi:10.1016/j.jss.2021.07.011
Boston Children’s Hospital.Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).
University of Florida Health.Diaphragmatic hernia.
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