Lung herniation following blunt thoracic trauma: case report

Abstract

Summary Introduction. Lung herniation following blunt force is a very rare occurrence of thoracic trauma with very few reported cases in medical literature. It can be defined as a protrusion of the pleural-covered parenchyma of the lung through an abnormal defect or chest wall weakness. It can also appear following thoracic surgery and can be classified based on location as parasternal, intercostal and supraclavicular. Case Presentation. A 60-year-old male was admitted to our hospital by emergency services following blunt thoracic trauma to head, chest, abdomen and lower and upper extremities. Upon admission, chest Computed Tomography was performed that showed a small herniation of left lung through 4th intercostal space and close to left parasternal line. He underwent surgical intervention for closure of lung hernia by mini-access thoracoplasty. There were no signs of recurrence after one month and three months of follow-up. Conclusions. Being a rare pathology, lung herniation is often overlooked in initial patient assessment, especially in a polytrauma patient where many clinical signs can often overlay one another. There is still no consensus regarding the surgical treatment of a pulmonary hernia. This can be done directly (primary) or delayed (secondary) and depends on the clinical condition of the patient.