Laparoscopic repair of secondary parahiatal hernia with incarceration of the stomach: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Parahiatal hernia is an extremely rare subtype of hiatal hernia, which in turn is a type of diaphragmatic hernia in adults, and only a few cases have been reported to date. We report the case of a patient who suffered from gastric incarceration through an anatomically separate diaphragmatic defect, immediately lateral to a structurally normal esophageal hiatus, that developed after treatment of a malignant mesothelioma. CASE PRESENTATION: A 70-year-old Japanese man, who had undergone treatment for a left malignant pleural mesothelioma a year ago at another hospital, was referred to our institution following a 4-day history of epigastric pain. Esophagogastroscopy demonstrated a normal esophagogastric junction, with remarkable stenosis and active gastric ulcer of the gastric body. Histopathological examination of the gastric biopsy specimen confirmed a gastric ulcer. Furthermore, computed tomography revealed a large fluid-filled structure in the retrocardiac space. On the basis of preoperative data, we decided to attempt laparoscopic repair for the gastric volvulus. During surgery, gastric and omental herniation was observed within a peritoneal lined defect immediately lateral to the esophageal hiatus. Dissection near the esophageal hiatus revealed a discrete extrahiatal defect 3cm in diameter immediately adjacent to the left crus of the diaphragm. The parahiatal defect was closed using interrupted nonabsorbable heavy suture. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful, and anastomotic leakage was not observed at postoperative barium swallowing. CONCLUSIONS: Although preoperative diagnosis of parahiatal hernia is difficult, a laparoscopic approach can be a useful therapeutic procedure not only for paraesophageal hernia but also for parahiatal hernia.