Postoperative inverted intercostal hernia incidentally detected by chest computed tomography in a patient with COVID-19

Abstract

Inverted intercostal hernias are uncommon, and even more so when comprised of soft tissue instead of lung parenchyma in the postoperative context. This report demonstrates a case in with such a hernia was diagnosed through chest multidetector computerized tomography in a 48-year-old woman who presented to the emergency room with respiratory symptoms and tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). She had positive surgical history for left lower lobectomy with bronchoplastic procedure and mediastinal lymphadenectomy, due to an endobronchial typical carcinoid tumor a few years ago. Therefore, it is important for radiologists to be aware of the imaging characteristics of inverted intercostal hernias, to avoid diagnostic errors.

Keywords

• Thoracic surgery
• Hernia
• Multidetector computed tomography