An incidental finding of paraesophageal hernia in an adult with recurrent chest discomfort: a case report

Hiatus hernia is a structural defect in which a weakened diaphragm allows a portion of the stomach to pass through its esophageal opening into the chest when intra-abdominal pressure increases. Approximately 99% of hiatus hernias are sliding and the remaining 1% is paraesophageal. This is a twenty-two year old male student with a recurrent history of chest discomfort especially following meals. The patient had a plain chest radiograph which showed a right para-cardiac soft tissue density area which appeared to be a contrast filled antrum of the stomach above the diaphragm following a confirmatory barium meal. The patient had surgical repair of the paraesophageal hernia and subsequently became better and stable. We report this case due to its rarity, mode of clinical presentation and subsequent radiographic diagnosis.