Bochdalek hernia (BH) can be a life-threatening condition in infants. Approximately 85.3% of newborns with a BH are immediately at high risk and have a high mortality rate due to respiratory insufficiency [Kocakusak et al.: Hernia 2005;9: 284-287]. However, BH is almost asymptomatic in adults and discovered only incidentally [Wilkins et al.: Clin Imaging 1994;18: 224-229]. Complicated BH in adults might present with visceral incarceration and lethal complications. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding and acute pancreatitis are rarely reported in the literature as complications of BH in adults. Here we report the case of a 42-year-old male who presented with upper gastrointestinal bleeding and acute pancreatitis. He was found to have abdominal visceral organ herniation to the posterior right thoracic cavity. His diagnosis was achieved early and with a close follow-up, we succeeded in stabilizing the patient's condition. Then he was subjected to reconstructive thoracotomy for hernial repair and restoring abdominal viscera.
Keywords: Acute pancreatitis; Bochdalek hernia; Hematemesis; Upper gastrointestinal bleeding.