A rare diaphragmatic hernia with a delayed presentation of intestinal symptoms following spleno-distal pancreatectomy: a case report

Acquired diaphragmatic hernia, non-related to trauma, is a very rare condition. It can constitute a therapeutic problem and the surgical solution is not always immediately clear. We report the case of a 73-year-old woman with a history of spleno-distal pancreatectomy for a neuroendocrine tumour performed in 2009, who came back to Emergency Room 2 years later, complaining of abdominal pain. Chest radiography and computed tomography were performed; they showed a diaphragmatic hernia with visceral migration into the thorax. The diaphragmatic defect was surgically repaired and the patient had an uneventful post-operative recovery.