Dyspnoea and constipation: rare case of large bowel obstruction secondary to an incarcerated Morgagni hernia

Abstract

Incarcerated diaphragmatic hernias are often challenging to diagnose. ¹ Patients often present with non-specific abdominal symptoms, and barring an imaging modality that confirms herniation of intra-abdominal contents, there is no investigation sensitive or specific enough to identify it. It is a rare cause of mechanical bowel obstruction that clinicians should be aware of. This report describes a case of an 81-year-old man who presented to the emergency department with ongoing dyspnoea and constipation secondary to a partial large bowel obstruction due to an incarcerated Morgagni hernia. This case highlights the non-specific symptoms of this condition that often leads to a delayed diagnosis and aims to increase the awareness among clinicians.

Keywords: general surgery; primary care.