Asymptomatic congenital intrapericardial diaphragmatic hernia in a woman becoming symptomatic after childbirth

Abstract This paper describes a rare case presentation of congenital asymptomatic intrapericardial diaphragmatic hernia. In this case, the female patient survived without symptoms for over 30 years until becoming symptomatic at childbirth. Diaphragmatic hernia occurs when abdominal viscera protrude into the thoracic cavity, with pericardial hernias being the rarest type. Diaphragmatic hernia can be caused by trauma that raises the intra-abdominal pressure, whereas congenital hernias are often symptomatic at birth. It is rare to have a congenital asymptomatic intrapericardial diaphragmatic hernia, where the patient survives until adulthood and subsequently becomes symptomatic after delivering a child; hence, that is the uniqueness of this case.