Right diaphragmatic eventration simulating a congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

We describe an infant with severe eventration of the right diaphragm and pulmonary hypoplasia who presented like a newborn with congenital diaphragmatic hernia complicated by persistent pulmonary hypertension. Surgical correction while on extracorporeal life support was unsuccessful due to attachments of the liver which prevented reduction into the abdominal cavity and our inability to distinguish the true defect from complete agencies of the right hemidiaphragm. At autopsy the pulmonary remnant and the fibrous membrane separating it from the liver were identified.