RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Transthoracic Littre’s hernia presenting with faecopneumothorax following perforation of the Meckel’s diverticulum: a late complication of oesophagectomy
JF BMJ Case Reports
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP bcr-2017-220902
DO 10.1136/bcr-2017-220902
VO 2017
A1 Charles West
A1 Karen Erskine
A1 Khaled Hamdan
YR 2017
UL http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2017/bcr-2017-220902.abstract
AB A Littre’s hernia is an unusual phenomenon where a Meckel’s diverticulum protrudes through a potential abdominal opening. We wish to present a unique case of a 79-year-old man with respiratory distress following a fall from standing, initially managed as a haemothorax. After a chest drain was placed, bowel contents were drained from the pleural cavity and he was taken to theatre. He had a history of minimally invasive oesophagectomy for cancer and had subsequently developed a diaphragmatic hernia. A blind ending diverticulum with a perforation at its tip was found in the left oblique lung fissure that was subsequently confirmed histologically as a perforated Meckel’s diverticulum. The patient had a prolonged stay on the intensive care unit with a left-sided empyema that was managed radiologically prior to discharge. Unfortunately 4 months postoperatively, he passed away from hospital-acquired pneumonia on a rehabilitation ward.