title: Pericardio-diaphragmatic rupture following blunt abdominal trauma: Case report and review of literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture (TDR) occurs in 0-5% of patients with major blunt thoraco-abdominal trauma, in most of them on the left side, and an early correct diagnosis is made in less than half of the cases (Meyers and McCabe, 1993; Ball et al., 1982).
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a case of a forty-eight years old man who had a pericardio-diaphragmatic rupture after a high-velocity blunt abdominal trauma that was diagnosed and treated successfully.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pericardio-diaphragmatic rupture (PDR) is an uncommon problem that poses a diagnostic challenge to surgeons. The incidence of PDR is between 0.2% and 3.3% of cases with TDR (Sharma, 1999 [3]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PDR should be suspected in any patient with high velocity thoraco-abdominal trauma. Early diagnosis is essential and needs a high index of suspicion. Early Management is important in decreasing morbidity and mortality.
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: bassem.abouhussein@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bassem
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abou Hussein
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khammas
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Hadiel
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaiyasah
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Abeer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Swaleh
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Nazim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Al Rifai
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Alya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Mazrouei
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Faisal
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Badri
keywords: Diaphram; Pericardium; Rupture; Trauma