Undiagnosed rupture of right hemidiaphragm--hepatothorax: a case report.

A case of late diagnosis of right diaphragmatic rupture due to blunt trauma is presented. Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture is an uncommon but severe problem in a patient with multiple injuries. One third of left-sided ruptures and half of right-sided ruptures have been undetected for several days. Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture should be suspected on the basis of an abnormal chest X-ray in patients with multiple injuries. Imaging studies like computed tomography, scan and magnetic resonance imaging can be helpful for differential diagnosis. Right-sided injuries occur more commonly than previously thought and often require thoracotomy.