Spontaneous intercostal lung herniation complicated by rib fractures: a therapeutic dilemma

Abstract

Lung herniation has been defined as a protrusion of lung tissue through its bounding structure. We present a case of spontaneous intercostal lung herniation following bouts of cough, which was complicated by multiple rib fractures, in which we had to adopt a non-surgical approach due to the clinical circumstance. Its understanding in the field of internal medicine is important as appropriate therapeutic judgment, and long-term follow-up is essential for full recovery.

Thoracoscopic management of incarcerated lung herniation after blunt chest trauma: a case report and literature review

“…There is no consensus on the managements of lung Because of the patient's high surgical risk, the case was managed conservatively. However, this patient experienced poorly controlled chest pain and shortness of breath, and the herniation progressed both clinically and radiologically, suggesting that surgical intervention is ideal if clinically feasible (1). Surgical decisions are made based upon the size of the hernia, the symptoms (pain, dyspnea), the risk of parenchyma incarceration (for example, difficult hernia reduction or small chest wall defect), and the patient's comorbid conditions (7,8).…”

Spontaneous Lung Herniation after Coughing: A Case Series

“…A lung hernia in the absence of prior injury is classified as spontaneous. However, spontaneous is not always an accurate term to describe the mechanism of injury as these hernias are usually the result of a sudden increase in intra-thoracic pressure following coughing or sneezing with subsequent rupture of the intercostal muscles or even rib fractures [4,5,11,12]. Since the first reported case by Roland in 1499, only a few occurrences of spontaneous lung hernias have been described.…”

Traumatic Lung Herniation following Skateboard Fall

“…It provides excellent characterization of LH [2–4]. It is also valuable in identifying associated complications and aids in the surgical planning of LH repair [3, 4]. …”

“…Lung herniation (LH) is the migration of pulmonary tissue outside the thoracic cage [1–4]. It is an extremely rare occurrence with an unknown prevalence and incidence [5, 6].…”