Review of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia associated with pelvis fractures.

OBJECTIVE: To review the epidemiological feature, clinical and diagnostic data of post-traumatic diaphragmatic hernia (TDH) associated with pelvis fracture reported in recent 10 years. METHODS: A 10-year retrospective study was undertaken to analyze the incidence, diagnosis, management, morbidity and mortality of patients with traumatic diaphragmatic hernia associated with pelvis fractures. A total of 46 cases in our country were reviewed. RESULTS: The incidence of TDH associated with pelvis fractures was relatively rare and the diagnosis was often delayed or missed. A total of 72.34% of these patients were diagnosed as TDH associated with pelvis fractures after injury for 36 hours to 1 week. Although the trans-thorax approach was preferred for surgical closure in the acute phase, its mortality still reached 8.51%. CONCLUSIONS: TDH associated with pelvis fractures is difficult to be diagnosed because of its varied clinical and radiological signs and the patients may not present with symptoms for a long time after injury. In clinical, a high index of suspicion with appropriate examination is the mainstay of management, which can be helpful in prognosis.