Unusual cause of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia in a 12-year-old boy.

A 12-year-old boy with a short history of dyspnea and occasional left-sided chest pain was discovered to have a diaphragmatic hernia that apparently resulted from minor chest trauma two years earlier. A large portion of the small bowel, part of the transverse colon, and the entire omentum were found in the left side of the chest. The patient recovered uneventfully after primary repair of the diaphragm. Although such lesions are usually associated with relatively severe injuries, this case shows that they may result from any type of chest trauma.