FIBROUS FUSION BETWEEN THE LIVER AND THE LUNG - AN UNUSUAL COMPLICATION OF RIGHT CONGENITAL DIAPHRAGMATIC-HERNIA

A congenital right diaphragmatic hernia was diagnosed in a full-term n ewborn who presented with respiratory distress at the age of 10 hours. The patient required respiratory support, and was operated on at age 6 days. During surgery, a central defect of the diaphragm was found. T he herniated liver was only partially reducible because of intrathorac ic adhesions. The patient died at 10 days of age as a result of persis tent fetal circulation. Postmortem pathological examination demonstrat ed a central diaphragmatic defect and a nonseparable fibrous fusion be tween the liver and the lung. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Comp any.