Summary

Traumatic ruptures of the diaphragm occur after blunt or penetrating thoracoabdominal injuries and are one of the most overlooked conditions. Although the risk of death due to rupture per se is low, when left undiagnosed this condition may cause serious complications and death due to gastrointestinal herniation. In this report, a patient with traumatic rupture of the diaphragm who presented with signs of intestinal obstruction is reported. The rupture occurred as a result of an abdominal penetrating injury sustained 3 years ago, and was not diagnosed during the acute phase of injury.