Left-Sided Bochdalek's Hernia in a Young Adult: A Case Report and Literature Review

Purpose Bochdalek's hernia is a type of congenital diaphragmatic hernia occurring secondary to a defect in the posterior attachment of diaphragm. This condition commonly presents with respiratory insufficiency in infants. To date, there are less than 100 cases of Bochdalek's hernia presenting in adults published in the literature. The mainstay treatment of Bochdalek's hernia involves reduction of hernial contents back into the peritoneal cavity with a tensionless graft repair closing the diaphragmatic defect. Case Presentation We present an atypical case of the Bochdalek hernia presenting in a previously healthy 16-year-old male who presented to the Accident and Emergency department with a 2-day history of dysphagia and loss of breath. The Bochdalek hernia was confirmed on computed tomography (CT) imaging and the patient underwent surgical repair with Gore-Tex mesh. Conclusion The report shows a rare case of the Bochdalek hernia in a young adult, successfully managed with a laparotomy.