Blackstone Mercedes M, Mistry Rakesh D
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Pediatr Emerg Care. 2007 Sep;23(9):653-6. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0b013e31814b2e02.
We report a case of a late-presenting congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) in an otherwise healthy infant initially presenting to the emergency department with wheezing and respiratory distress. Late-presenting CDH can manifest a vast array of clinical symptoms and therefore may frequently masquerade as other more common pediatric entities. Prompt and accurate diagnosis is essential in the management of late-presenting CDH; patients may be critically ill at presentation, and selection of appropriate therapeutic interventions may avoid potentially life-threatening complications. In this case report, we seek to inform emergency physicians about this rare, but serious, disorder.