Mediastinal hernia is the protrusion of part of the internal organs (usually intestinal loops and mesentery) into the pleural cavity through a defect in the diaphragmatic ring. The following groups of mediastinal hernias are distinguished:
In case of injuries, they occur after fractures of the ribs, wedge-shaped processes of the vertebrae and sternum. There are true diaphragmatic, paraesophageal with esophagitis, eventration of the esophageal stump, paracardial and extrapericardial. Among paramediastinal, the most common are mediastinal and eventration of the heart, mediastinal organs (visceral layer of the pericardium, trachea, bronchi, esophagus) , less often lungs
Congenital and acquired diseases can lead to the emergence of pathological communication with the upper parts of the mediastinum: Congenital defects of the keeled diaphragm (it has two abnormal transverse septa and an auricular protrusion along the midline of the diaphragm, through which its lower surface communicates with the posterior mediastinum; anomalies of the esophageal chiasm: in this case There is an irregular branching of the esophagus to the trachea and two bronchial tracts. The uterus, the initial body of the pancreas, the ovaries, and the metachronous thoracic thymus are located in the subdiaphragmatic space and are usually firmly fixed in it. When they are displaced, the formation of a hernia is an extremely rare phenomenon. Acquired mediastinal hernias occur with progressive processes in the lungs, pleura, mediastinum. This is disseminated tuberculosis, cancer