A Lady with Severe Abdominal Pain Following a Zumba Dance Session: A Rare Presentation of Bochdalek Hernia

A Bochdalek hernia is a congenital diaphragmatic hernia that results from a failure of closure of the pleuroperitoneal folds during embryologic development. While it is most often diagnosed in neonates and infants, Bochdalek hernias can rarely present in adulthood for the first time. We describe the case of a 42-year-old lady who presented with sudden onset of severe abdominal pain following a Zumba dance session. Her chest radiograph showed an elevated left hemi-diaphragm with visualization of a gastric bubble in the thorax. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen showed a defect in the left hemi-diaphragm with herniation of the stomach and abdominal viscera through the defect. The patient was taken for diagnostic laparoscopy, and the diaphragmatic defect was repaired with a synthetic mesh. Perioperatively, perforation of the anterior wall of the stomach was noted, and a diagnosis of Bochdalek hernia with gastric strangulation was made. This case demonstrates a rare presentation of Bochdalek hernia in an adult with strangulation and perforation of the stomach. Clinicians need to be aware of this rare but life-threatening clinical entity in order to secure a timely diagnosis and institute appropriate management.