Bochdalek Hernia in an 83-Year-Old Ex-Pulmonology Nurse

Bochdalek hernia (BH) represents the herniation of abdominal visceral components through a discontinuity between the lateral (costal) and posterior (crural) components of the diaphragm. With an incidence directly proportional to age, it is rare in adults, with reported frequencies in the specialized literature ranging from 0.17% to 6% of all diaphragmatic hernias, and it is the most common type of congenital diaphragmatic hernia, affecting the left hemidiaphragm in 85% of cases^(1,2).

The authors describe the case of an 83-year-old patient, a former nurse in a pneumology department, diagnosed with Bochdalek hernia, which mimicked a suspicious neoplastic lung mass. The patient's clinical context and conducted investigations established the benign etiology of the formation, without requiring further surgical intervention. Additionally, we provide a brief review of the medical literature on this topic, radiological approaches, and the importance of differential diagnosis.