Radiol Case Rep
. 2025 Dec 6;21(3):975-979.
doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2025.11.032. eCollection 2026 Mar. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41451267/
Congenital peritoneo-pericardial hernia in a 4 years-old child: Case report of a rare type of congenital diaphragmatic hernia
Abdi Alemayehu Dhuguma 1, Suleyman Fantahun 1, Eyosait Mekonnen 2, Abera Fikre 1
Affiliations Expand
- PMID: 41451267
- PMCID: PMC12731258
- DOI: 10.1016/j.radcr.2025.11.032
Abstract
Congenital peritoneo-pericardial Hernia (CPPDH) occurs when a defect in the central tendon of the diaphragm allows communication between the peritoneal and pericardial cavities, leading to herniation of intra-abdominal organs into the pericardial cavity. It is an extremely rare form of congenital diaphragmatic hernia with only a few reported cases in the literature. We report a case of congenital peritoneo-pericardial hernia diagnosed in a 4-year-old female child after she presented with fast breathing and intermittent cough. The diagnosis was suspected during echocardiography,when a solid mass having similar echogenicity to the liver was seen in the pericardial cavity. Computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated a central diaphragmatic defect and herniation of the left liver lobe and the stomach into the pericardial cavity. Currently, surgery is the only option of management, and a correct diagnosis is usually not made prior to surgery. Our report highlights the crucial imaging findings helpful in the preoperative diagnosis, and also the importance of considering CPPDH as a differential diagnosis for an unusual intra-pericardial lesion discovered during echocardiography.
Keywords: CPPDH; Case report; Congenital peritoneo-pericardial diaphragmatic hernia; Diaphragmatic hernia; Morgagni’s hernia.
© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of University of Washington.
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