The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 58, 559-561, Copyright © 1994 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Blunt traumatic rupture of the right hemidiaphragm and Budd-Chiari syndrome
AL Fernandez-Gonzalez, R Llorens, JM Herreros, J Cato, F Lecumberri and J Longo
Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, University Clinic of Navarra School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
We present 2 cases of delayed diagnosis of rupture of the right
hemidiaphragm caused by blunt thoracic trauma, in which herniation of the
liver toward the thoracic cavity had occurred. Both patients showed signs
of noncardiogenic hepatic venous outflow obstruction. Venous outflow
returned to normal on reintroduction of the liver into the abdominal cavity
and closure of the defect in the diaphragm. The pathogenesis, diagnosis,
and treatment of this problem are discussed.