Rare intercostal herniation of abdominal organs in COPD patient managed non-operatively

TL;DR

A rare case of abdominal organs herniating into the chest in a COPD patient improved without surgery.

Contribution

This case report highlights a rare nontraumatic herniation managed non-operatively with respiratory improvement.

Findings

Intra-abdominal herniation through an intercostal defect occurred in a COPD patient.

The patient's respiratory status improved following the herniation.

Non-operative management was successful in this rare case.

Abstract

Nontraumatic intercostal and intrathoracic herniation of intra-abdominal organs is rare and has been sparsely reported in the literature. They are defined as protrusion of intra-abdominal contents through defects in the chest wall. The cases reported in the literature mostly involved herniation of intra-abdominal contents and the lungs through the defect. In this case report, we describe a case of intra-abdominal contents herniation through an intercostal defect with subsequent improvement in patient’s respiratory status related to the hernia.

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