Cervical herniation of the lung. Report of a case and review of the literature.

Cervical herniation of the apex of the lung into the soft tissues of the neck is a rare finding in the pediatric age group. Whereas in adults the etiology is either post-traumatic or secondary to chronic respiratory disease, in children the condition appears to arise spontaneously as the result of a congenital defect in the costovertebral fascia. Surgical treatment is rarely indicated unless there is evidence of incarceration, or progressive increase in size with resultant cosmetic deformity.