title: [Post-traumatic lung herniation].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Post-traumatic lung herniation due to a pathological defect in the chest wall is rare.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a 73-year-old polytrauma patient who had extensive chest wall trauma after an accident, resulting in traumatic herniation of the lung. The patient was initially treated according to surgical principles for 'damage control'. The chest wall was then reconstructed with polypropylene mesh.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is still no consensus on surgical treatment of lung herniation. It may be performed immediately (primary) or after a delay (secondary) and depends on the clinical condition of the patient.
authors.affiliation: UMC St Radboud, Afd. Heelkunde, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. mariskadewijs@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Mariska J D
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: de Wijs
authors.forename: Ad F T M
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Verhagen
authors.forename: Edward  C T H
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006547:Hernia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D059685:Herniorrhaphy; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications