• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.38-42
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• 2014

Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture is quite uncommon and rarely lethal injury. However, delayed presentation between the injury and the diagnosis can cause a life-threatening condition with various complications such as intestinal hernia, obstruction, strangulation, respiratory distress. Here, we present a case of delayed presentation of traumatic diaphragmatic rupture in a 51-year-old man, and then discuss about the clinical implication of delayed presentation of diaphragmatic rupture with a review.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.604-609
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• 1998

Trauma to the thorax represents a significant portion of injuries seen in an inner-city emergency room. Although most of these patients may be sucessfully managed without thoracotomy, a certain percentage requires operative intervention either immediately or within several hours. 126 records of patients who had early thoracotomy for chest trauma from March 1986, to June 1997, in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in Masan Samsung General Hospital were reviewed. There were 96 males and 30 females whose ages ranged from 4 to 72 years, with a mean age of 32.8 years. The modes of injury were as follows : stab wounds, 55 cases(44%), blunt trauma, 70 cases(55%), and gunshot wound, 1 case(1%). Immediate operation was performed in 105 cases(84%) and delayed operation in 21 cases(16%). Indications that operation was necessary were hemorraging and shock in 66 cases(52%), cardiac tamponade in 27 cases(21%), and rupture of the diaphragm in 33 cases(27%). Most of these patients were sucessfully treated but 21 cases were resulted in death. The mortality rate was 16.6% and common causes of death were irreversible shock and hypoxia.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.579-584
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• 1991

The records of 25 patients with traumatic diaphragmatic injuries seen at Chosun University Hospital from February 1977 to May 1991 were reviewed. We treated 20 male and 5 female patients ranging in age from 6 to 72 years. The diaphragmatic injuries were due to blunt trauma in 19 cases[traffic accident 13, fall down 4, compression injury 2] and penetrating trauma in 6 cases[stab wound 5, gun shot 1]. Most common symptoms were dyspnea[72%], chest pain[56%] and abdominal pain [40%], Chest X-ray were normal in 7 cases[28%] and 22 cases[88%] were diagnosed or suspected as diaphragmatic injuries preoperatively. The repair of 25 cases were performed with thoracic approach in 16 cases, thoracoabdominal approach in 6 cases and abdominal approach in 3 cases. Postoperative complications included atelectasis, wound infection and empyema. there was no postoperative death.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.308-312
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• 1995

A 5-year retrospective study of 14 patients with diaphragmatic injuries revealed 9 blunt and 5 penetrating injuries. In the blunt trauma group, 7 were left and 2 were right side. The penetrating diaphragmatic wound consist of 3 left and 2 right sided. Sex ratio was 11: 3, with male predominanace. Preoperative diagnosis was possible in 9 cases and delayed diagnosis [greater than 24 hours occured in 5 cases.Simple chest X-ray was diagnostic or highly suggestive in 7 cases. 7 cases were diagnosed diaphragmatic injuries by computed tomography, fiuroscopy or by explorative operation. All of the cases had association injury. 11 cases of diaphragmatic ruptures were corrected through thoracotomy and 3 cases needed exploratory laparotomy. One death occured after operation due to associated injuries and respiratory failure. Blunt and penetrating diaphragmatic injuries remain a diagnostic challenge and associated injuries, delayed diagnosis determine the outcome.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.197-201
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• 1991

Twenty-three patients with traumatic diaphragmatic injuries treated at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center from Aug. 1978 to Nov. 1990 were reviewed. There were 19 male and 4 female patients. The age distribution was ranged from 1.5 to 72 years, with a mean age of 34.3 years. Sixteen patients had blunt trauma[traffic accident 14, fall down 2], and 7 had penetrating injuries[stab wound 6, broken glass 1]. Sixteen [70 percent]of the injuries occurred on the left side and 7[30 percent] on the right side. Fifteen patients were operated on during the acute phase, 5 patients during the latent phase, 2 patients during the obstructive phase. The surgical approach in 20 patients was through a thoracotomy; in 2 patients, a thoracoabdominal incision was necessary, and in 1 patient, a laparotomy was performed. Herniated organs in thorax included stomach[10], colon[5], small bowel[5], spleen[4], liver[2]. Postoperative complications included wound infection, empyema, pneumonia, hepatitis and respiratory failure. There were 3 postoperative deaths, 2 with cerebral dysfunction and 1 with sepsis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1001-1012
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• 1992

13 cases of traumatic diaphragmatic ruptures were treated at the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery in Lee-Rha general hospital, Cheong-Ju, Choong Cheong Buk Do, between Oct. 1989 and Feb. 1992. The above 13 cases were reviewed in this study. And the following results were obtained. 1. Sex ratio is 11: 2 with male dominance 2. The 9 cases were due to blunt trauma and other 4 cases were due to penetrating injury. 3. Right side injury was more common than left[7: 5] and there was 1 case of central type which ruptured through subepicardial diaphragm. 4. All of the cases had association injury. 5. Preoperative diagnosis was possible in the 9 cases and others were diagnosed during operation under other indication. 6. Finger exploration was one of effective diagnostic procedure. 7. All of diaphragmatic ruptures was corrected through thoracotomy and exploratory laparotomy was done in 6 cases. 8. A patient died after operation due to associated injuries.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.79-82
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• 2015

Simple rib fracture is one of most common injury after blunt thoracic trauma found in approximately 7% to 40% of cases. Delayed traumatic diaphragmatic injury with massive hemothorax after rib fracture is rare but a potentially life-threatening condition. We present a rare case of a 79-year-old male with delayed diaphragmatic injury with massive hemothorax due to fracture of the lower ribs. Under thoracoscopy, hemothorax was evacuated, diaphragmatic rupture was identified and repaired, and the lower ribs were fixed with metal plate (s). Although simple lower rib fractures may be the only clinical finding, close observation and monitoring are required because of the possibility of diaphragmatic and/or intraabdominal organ injury.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1023-1026
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• 1994

We reviewed 10 cases of traumatic diaphragmatic injuries at Soonchunhyang University Gumi Hospital from January 1990 through April 1993. seven patients were male and three patients were female. The age distribution was ranged from 25 to 79 years, predominant 4th decades occurred in male. The traumatic diaphragmatic injuries were due to blunt trauma in 9 cases (traffic accident 7 and crash injury 2) and penetrating wound in 1 case (stab wound). The common symptom were dyspnea (60%), chest pain and abdominal pain in order frequency. In the blunt trauma and crash injury, te rupture site was all located in the left(9 cases). In the penetrating wound, the rupture site was located in the right(1 case). The surgical repair of 10 cases were performed with transthoracic approach in 9 cases and thoracoabodominal approach in 1 case. The postoperative mortality was 10% (1/10). The cause of death was multiple organ failure with pulmonary edema.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.791-797
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• 1993

We evaluated forty cases of traumatic diaphragmatic ruptures that we have experienced from Mar. 1976 to Mar. 1992. Thirty patients were male and 10 were female[M:F=3:1]. The age distribution was ranged from 2 to 76 years with the mean age of 35 years. The traumatic diaphragmatic ruptures were due to blunt trauma in 26 cases[traffic accident 20, fall down 4, others 2] and penetrating trauma in 14 cases[stab wound 13, gun shot 1]. In the blunt trauma, 21 of 26 cases were diagnosed within 24 hours after injury and all cases except one in penetrating trauma were diagnosed within 24 hours. In the blunt trauma, the rupture site was located in the left in 20 cases and in the right in 6 cases. In the penetrating trauma, the rupture site was located in the left in 10 cases and in the right in 4 cases. The repair of 40 cases were performed with thoracic approach in 19 cases, thoracoabdominal approach in 17 cases and abdominal approach in 4 cases. The postoperative mortality was 7.5 %[3/40]. The causes of death were septic shock[1], acute renal failure[1] and hypovolemic shock[1].

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.643-649
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• 1994

We evaluated sixteen patients of traumatic diaphragmatic injuries that we have experienced from Jan. 1987 to Aug 1993. Age was ranged from 6 to 71 years, predominantly in the fourth and fifth decades. 13 were male and 3 were female, a ratio of 4.3: 1. Blunt trauma was develped in 11 [Lt 7, Rt 4], penetrating trauma in 5 [Lt 2, Rt 3]. Preoperative diagnosis of diaphragmatic injury was possible in 8 patients [72.2 %] in blunt trauma, and 1 patient [20 %] in penetrating trauma. 8 cases[54.5%] in blunt trauma, and 4 cases in penetrating trauma were treated within 24 hours,meanwhile, patients treated after 10 days were 3, all by blunt trauma.The repair of 16 cases were performed with thoracic approach in 4 cases, thoracoabdominal approach in 3 cases, and abdominal approach in 9 cases. The herniated organs in thorax were stomach [5], colon [3], liver [2], and pancreas [1]. Postoperative complication were developed in 9cases[56.3%] significantly related with delayed operation time [p < 0.01 ]. Hospital mortality was 12.5 % [2/16], and the causes of death were hypovolemic shock in one and hepatic failure due to portal vein rupture in another.