DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sasjs.2026.v12i04.016

Pages: 329-331

Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture is a rare entity that typically occurs in the setting of high-energy blunt trauma, and its diagnosis in the acute phase remains challenging due to non-specific clinical presentation. We report the case of a 50-year-old male with no significant past medical history who was admitted for abdominopelvic trauma following a road traffic accident involving a motorcycle–car collision. On admission, the patient was conscious and hemodynamically stable, with clinical examination revealing pelvic ecchymosis and mild abdominal tenderness. Laboratory investigations showed leukocytosis of 20,000/mm³. Contrast-enhanced thoracoabdominal computed tomography demonstrated a left diaphragmatic rupture with herniation of the gastric fundus through a 50 mm defect, associated with moderate intraperitoneal fluid. The patient underwent a midline laparotomy with reduction of the herniated stomach and primary repair of the diaphragmatic defect using interrupted 2/0 silk sutures, along with abdominal and thoracic drainage. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day five. Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture should be suspected in high-energy thoracoabdominal trauma, and computed tomography plays a key role in early diagnosis, allowing prompt surgical management and improved outcomes.