Diaphragmatic Hernia during Pregnancy: A Case Report

Objective: Our objective is to highlight the management of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (DH) during pregnancy that maybe life-threatening due to improper diagnosis or treatment impediment.

Report: Hereby, we report a case of a woman in her first trimester of pregnancy who presented with sudden onset of abdominal pain, dyspnoea, vomiting, mild distension, palpitation and absolute constipation. Chest X-ray revealed obliterated left phrenic angle with air bubbles in thoracic cage and the diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia with intestinal obstruction was confirmed. The patient was treated through emergency laparotomy and colostomy. She delivered safely at term by caesarean section.

Conclusion: The diversities in the clinical picture of DH with pregnancy lead to diagnosing challenges for this condition. Also, the treatment options depend on the patient characteristics mainly and her condition upon diagnosis confirmation without universal agreement or clear guideline from a respectable authority.

Keywords: Complicated pregnancy, Diaphragmatic hernia, Intestinal obstruction.