Introduction:

The Bochdalek hernia is the most common congenital diaphragmatic defect. There are less than 200 cases reported in adults, which represent about 5% of the cases in medical literature; therefore, its diagnosis is hard to make.

Clinical case:

A 23-year-old female patient who was referred from her medical institution with a diagnosis of spontaneous pneumothorax after suffering from left hemithorax pain and dyspnea 24 hours after undergoing labor. At the emergency room, an endopleural tube was placed, but since there was no pulmonary re-expansion, an unenhanced CT scan was performed and a medical petition was requested to the radiology and surgery department. A diagnosis of incarcerated Bochdalek hernia was made and the patient underwent an emergency laparotomy with primary closure. She recovered successfully and was discharged from hospital on the fourth postoperative day.

Discussion:

Bochdalek hernia is misdiagnosed in about 38% of the cases because of its low incidence and the different types of clinical presentations. In this case, the main diagnosis was initially a spontaneous pneumothorax with endopleural seal placement, which could have caused several complications.

Conclusion:

The Bochdalek hernia represents a diagnostic challenge because delaying its management is associated with high-risk complications.