Pediatric Diaphragm Eventration

  • Etiology: Congenital lack of muscle fibers in the diaphragm leading to focal weakness of diaphragm
  • Imaging CXR: Focal elevation of the hemidiapragm
  • Imaging US and Fluoroscopy: Hemidiaphragm does show normal excursion
  • DDX: Diaphragm paralysis – hemidiaphragm will not show normal excursion on US and fluoroscopy
  • Complications:
  • Treatment: Excision of fibrous portion of diaphragm
  • Clinical:

Radiology Cases of Diaphragm Eventration

CXR and CT of diaphragm eventration
CXR PA and lateral (above) shows a right sided anteromedial opacity that obscures the right heart border on the PA image and the anterior portion of the right hemidiaphragm on the lateral image. Fluoroscopy showed the opacity to move synchronously with the diaphragm during normal respiration. Axial CT with contrast of the chest (below) shows the source of the opacity to be the liver positioned within the anteromedial lower right hemithorax.