Diaphragmatic eventration after chest tube placement in a Neonate: report of a case and a review of the literature

Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaUnilateral and reversible paralysis of the diaphragm due to phrenic nerve injury is a very uncommon and unexpected complication in the course of a chest tube placement, especially in neonates. Insertion of the chest tube can cause injury to the intra-thoracic segment of the phrenic nerve which runs close to the mediastinal pleura. Only few cases of diaphragmatic paralysis due to chest tube placement in neonates have been reported in the literature. We report a case of reversible iatrogenic right diaphragmatic paralysis following the placement or manipulation of a chest tube in a neonate, operated for oesophageal atresia and distal tracheo-esophageal fistula.Annals of Saudi Medicin