Morgagni Hernia

  • Etiology: Defect at foramen of Morgagni which is anteromedial in location in diaphragm
  • Imaging:
    — 90% right sided
    — Usually contains bowel
  • DDX:
  • Complications: Bowel can become incarcerated
  • Treatment: Surgical
  • Clinical: Usually found incidentally later in childhood

Radiology Cases of Morgagni Hernia

Radiology Cases of Morgagni Hernia Containing Colon

CXR of Morgagni Hernia that contained acute appendicitis
CXR PA shows the right heart border to be obscured and the lateral shows loops of bowel rising above the diaphragm anterior to the heart.
CXR of Morgagni hernia
AP radiograph of the thoracic spine (left) shows a loop of bowel containing haustra in the lower chest just above the diaphragm. CXR lateral (right) shows a loop of bowel in the anterior chest.

Radiology Cases of Morgagni Hernia Containing Colon With a Button Battery in the Esophagus

CXR of button battery ingestion in a patient with a Morgagni hernia
CXR AP (above left) shows a round radiopaque object with a halo of lucency around it in the neck and there is a dense opacity in the medial aspect of the right lower lobe. CXR lateral (above right) shows the round object to be in the esophagus posterior to the airway and there is a loop of bowel coursing up from the abdomen to the chest anterior to the heart. Axial (below left) and sagittal (below right) CT without contrast of the chest shows the loop of bowel anterior and medial in location in the right chest to have haustra and therefore to be colon.

Radiology Cases of Morgagni Hernia Containing Liver

CXR and US and CT of Morgani hernia
CXR AP and lateral (above) shows an anteromedial soft tissue density in the right cardiophrenic angle obscuring the right heart border. Sagittal US of the chest performed anteriorly and just to the right of the midline (below left) shows liver extending above the level of the diaphragm. Axial CT with contrast of the chest (below right) shows liver in the right cardiophrenic angle just to the right of the heart in the right hemithorax.

Surgery Cases of Morgagni Hernia

Surgical image of Morgagni hernia
Surgical image shows an anterior midline defect in the diaphragm, measuring 7 cm in width by 3 cm in depth. The transverse colon was herniated through this defect into the retrosternal space and had been reduced before this image was obtained.