Diagnosis of right-sided diaphragmatic rupture by liver-lung scanning.

Rupture of the right hemidiaphragm is uncommon and may be difficult to diagnose because the herniated liver may be mistaken for an elevated intact diaphragm on roentgenograms. Liver-lung scanning has been found useful in the diagnosis of this condition in the latent phase following rupture and this is illustrated by the authors in their report of a 48-year-old man who had a right-sided diaphragmatic injury. The patient was treated successfully by surgical repair of the diaphragmatic tear.