enterothorax

English

Etymology

From entero- +‎ thorax, analogous to pneumothorax.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˌɛntəɹoʊˈθɔːɹæks/

Noun

enterothorax (countable and uncountable, plural enterothoraces or enterothoraxes)

1. The presence of abdominal organs in the thorax, which is unusual and occurs only via congenital anomalies or later injury; diaphragmatic hernia is by necessity involved, given that the diaphragm is the barrier between the abdominal and thoracic compartments.
   • 2012, Guner A, Bekar Y, Kece C, Kahraman I, Sezer C, Reis E, “Delayed enterothorax and hepatothorax due to missed right-sided traumatic diaphragmatic rupture”, in American Journal of Emergency Medicine, volume 30, number 1, →DOI, →PMID, pages 263.e7-263.e10:

     Traumatic diaphragm ruptures (DRs) are an unusual condition after blunt thoracoabdominal trauma, and there are some difficulties in the diagnosis, in the absence of the additional life-threatening injuries. Right-sided injuries are less frequent than left-sided injuries and may be missed easily. Intrathoracic herniation of abdominal organs is an uncommon condition for right-sided DR. Particularly, to our knowledge, progressive hepatothorax and enterothorax that develop over years are a very rare presentation of DR. Herein, we present a case of progressive thoracic herniation of the abdominal organs, diagnosed 22 years after the initial trauma.