Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia and Eventration Flashcards
Where is the most common location of the defect in a patient with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH)?
A. Right-side posterolateral
B. Left-side posterolateral
C. Right-side anterolateral
D. Left-side anterolateral
E. Retrosternal
ANSWER: B
COMMENTS: The most common type of CDH is the Bochdalek hernia, which is located in the posterolateral portion of the diaphragm. This results from a failure of fusion of the lumbar and costal muscle groups in this location. This accounts for 80% of CDHs.
A Morgagni hernia is an anteromedial defect that is usually retrosternal or parasternal and is far more rare. This usually does not present until later in life, while CDH is generally diagnosed in utero on ultrasound.
At the time of birth, a plain radiograph will identify herniated intestinal contents within the chest or the nasogastric tube terminating within the chest.
There is associated hypoplasia of the lung on the affected side, which often results in respiratory distress.
Although the lung hypoplasia plays a role in the pathogenesis of respiratory compromise, the major cause is pulmonary hypertension due to pulmonary vasoconstriction.
Management begins with cardiorespiratory stabilization of the infant at birth.
Interventions may include nitric oxide, high-frequency ventilation, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) followed by surgical correction.
Survival rates for CDH range between 60% and 90%. Outcomes have improved over the last decade with the introduction of gentle ventilation strategies.
Repair can be performed via either a subcostal abdominal approach or a thoracotomy.
Open and thoracoscopic and laparoscopic methods have been described; however, there are higher hernia recurrence rates at 1 year with open approaches.
What are the different types of congenital diaphragmatic defects?
- Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), characterized by a defect that is postero-lateral (Bochdalek hernia) or anterior (Morgagni hernia).
- Diaphragmatic eventration, characterized by an abnormal elevation of one or both intact hemidiaphragms.
How does the diaphragm form?
Four structures give rise to the diaphragm between week 4 and 8 of gestation:
– septum transversum (forms the tendinous part of the diaphragm);
– pleuroperitoneal folds;
– thoracic body wall mesenchyme (both from the muscular part of the
diaphragm);
– esophageal mesentery (forms the crura).
Bochdalek CDH occurs when a pleuroperitoneal fold fails to close the pleuroperitoneal canal.
Morgagni CDH is characterized by a retrosternal herniation through the sternocostal triangle.
What causes CDH to occur?
The etiology is poorly understood, but CDH seems to be due to a combination of genetic, developmental, and environmental factors.
What is the prevalence of CDH?
2.3 in 10,000 livebirths.
What anomalies can be associated with CDH?
50% of babies with CDH have at least one associated anomaly.
10–35% have chromosomal abnormalities (trisomy 13, 18, and 21). Most common anomalies are: • congenital heart disease (15%) • defects of the urogenital system (5%) • musculo-skeletal system (5%) • central nervous system (5%).
What are the main syndromes associated with CDH?
Bochdalek CDH
• Pallister-Killian syndrome (mosaic tetrasomy 12p): central nervous system anomalies, short limbs, coarse facial features, and intellectual impairment.
• Fryns syndrome: facial dysmorphism, clefts, hypertelorism, genitourinary, and cardiovascular anomalies.
Morgagni CDH can be part of the pentalogy of Cantrell, characterized by:
• midline supraumbilical abdominal wall defect (exomphalos)
• lower sternum anomaly
• Morgagni hernia
• congenital intracardiac anomalies
• ectopia cordis.
What are the main determinants of morbidity and mortality in babies with CDH?
- Pulmonary hypoplasia (decreased number of alveoli and thickened mesenchyme)
- Pulmonary hypertension, due to fetal vascular remodeling (decreased number of vessels and increased muscularization of distal pulmonary vessels).
How is CDH prenatally diagnosed and worked-up?
Around 60–70% of cases are diagnosed prenatally at the anatomy scan (18– 20 weeks of gestation), that may show: • polyhydramnios • absence of an intra-abdominal stomach • intra-thoracic abdominal organs • mediastinal shift.
Additional prenatal evaluations include:
• detailed fetal ultrasound scan
• fetal echocardiography
• amniocentesis.
In some centers, a prenatal magnetic resonance imaging is also performed.
What are the prenatal markers to evaluate prognosis of a fetus with CDH?
- Lung-to-head ratio (LHR), expressed as observed/expected LHR, as it correlates to the degree of pulmonary hypoplasia and to predicted survival
- Liver or stomach herniation
- Associated anomalies, such as congenital heart defects
- Chromosomal anomalies (fetal karyotype or microarray).
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The fact that absolute values of LHR and TFLV can change with gestational age has been addressed by reporting them as observed-to-expected ratios, which tend to remain stable during fetal life.
There are several different algorithms for calculating these values. For example, LHR is calculated by dividing the area of the lung contralateral to the diaphragmatic defect, measured at the level of the four-chamber view, by the head circumference.
However, the lung area can be calculated by the longest diameter method or the tracing method.
Similarly, there are different algorithms for calculating MRI-generated lung volumes. It has also been shown that a learning curve may exist for accurately measuring these parameters. Since these values have become quite important in counseling patients, it behooves each institution to perform quality assurance analyses that examine the correlation of these measurements with one another, as well as with overall prognosis.
Additional measurements that have been proposed include those that can be obtained on ultrasound (quantitative lung index [QLI], three-dimensional ultrasound-generated lung volumes) and those that can be obtained on MRI (percent predicted lung volume [PPLV], lung/liver signal intensity ratio [LLSIR]). These parameters have not found wide usage, as they do not seem to increase the prognostic accuracy.
Stomach herniation and liver herniation have also been found to adversely affect prognosis. Recently, stomach herniation has been de-emphasized as it may simply be a surrogate for liver herniation.
While liver herniation has traditionally been reported as a binary variable, more recent studies show that the amount of liver herniation may be more significant, with herniated total volume above 21% associated with increased mortality.
Finally, several studies have reported the potential for fetal echocardiographic findings, such as small-diameter pulmonary arteries, to predict outcomes.
While some correlations have been found, these measurements did not seem to add much to LHR, TFLV, or liver herniation.
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After prenatal diagnosis, what is the current prenatal management of fetuses with CDH?
It is expectant, with ultrasound surveillance for fetal growth and development, parental counseling, and maternal steroids only if at risk of preterm delivery.
When and where should a baby with prenatally diagnosed CDH be delivered?
Scheduled full term delivery in a tertiary center at early term (37–38 weeks).
What treatment can be offered prenatally?
Surgical repair in utero was proven to be associated with increased fetal demise.
Currently, the only available prenatal intervention for fetuses with predicted severe pulmonary hypoplasia is the fetoscopic endo-tracheal occlusion (FETO), which entails the intra-tracheal deployment of a small balloon under fetoscopy at 26–28 weeks of gestation.
The balloon avoids the egression of the pulmonary fluid and keeps the lungs expanded.
At around 34 weeks of gestation, the balloon is removed.
Experimentally, FETO has been reported to improve lung growth and it is currently being evaluated by a randomized controlled trial (TOTAL trial).
Nonetheless, FETO is associated with the risk of premature rupture of membranes and preterm birth.
Correlation of the observed/expected lung-to-head ratio (O/E LHR) with the degree of pulmonary hypoplasia and predicted survival?
O/E LHR (%)
<15: Extreme (0% survival)
15–25: Severe (20% survival)
26–45: Moderate (30-60% survival)
> 45: Mild (>75% survival)
What is the postnatal management of a newborn with CDH?
- Immediate intubation with sedation for assisted ventilation to all neonates with prenatal/postnatal diagnosis CDH. No mask ventilation as it distends the herniated stomach/intestine [1]. Deep sedation and neuromuscular blockade should be avoided.
- Intravenous access+arterial line (preferably into the right radial artery), with a restrictive fluid management in the first 24 hours of life (40 ml/kg/day) [2].
- Nasogastric tube placement for gastrointestinal decompression.
- Thorough physical exam looking for associated anomalies.
- Chest x-ray (two views).
- Echocardiography in the first 48 hours of life (to be repeated at 2–3 weeks of life) to assess cardiac anatomy, severity of pulmonary hypertension, presence/ direction of ductal and intracardiac shunting, and left and right ventricular function.
• Parenteral feeding [2].
Use of surfactant is not recommended in term CDH neonates.
What are the postnatal markers of prognosis?
Several clinical prediction models have been developed, and contain variables such as:
• Birth weight
• Apgar score
• Blood gases, such as highest PaO2, lowest PaCO2, and best oxygenation index (BOI) on day 1 that is calculated as follows:
BOI (d1) = FiO2% x MAP (cmH2O) / PaO2 (kPa)
(where MAP is the mean arterial pressure)
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Chromosomal and major cardiac anomalies.
What is the recommended ventilation strategy?
CDH neonates are managed with gentle ventilation (“gentilation”), which allows permissive hypercapnia and aims to provide adequate tissue oxygenation, while avoiding barotrauma. The recommended initial ventilator settings are:
– peak inspiratory pressure (PIP): <25 cm H20;
– positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP): 2–5 cm H20 with a frequency of
40–60/min
Oxygen is administered with the goal of a preductal SaO2 > 85% and arterial pCO2 45–60 mmHg (permissive hypercapnia) [4].
If conventional ventilation fails, high frequency oscillatory or jet ventilation are used.
What hemodynamic support can be provided in case of poor systemic perfusion and/or pulmonary hypertension?
Poor perfusion and low systemic blood pressure can be managed with crystal- loid infusion (not exceeding 20 mL/kg), inotropes (dopamine or epinephrine), and hydrocortisone. If poor perfusion continues, the cardiac function should be assessed by echocardiography and central venous saturation.
Pulmonary hypertension can be managed by various therapies, such as:
– Oxygen.
– Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) should be considered for patients with severe
suprasystemic pulmonary arterial hypertension, preserved left ventricular function, and adequate lung recruitment. However, in case of no clinical or echocardiographic improvement, iNO should be discontinued.
– Sildenafil is a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor that can be considered in case of refractory pulmonary hypertension with no response to iNO or when wean- ing from iNO.
– Milrinone is a phosphodiesterase-3 inhibitor that can be considered in case of cardiac dysfunction associated to refractory pulmonary hypertension as it can improve ventricular function and blood gas parameters.
– Prostacyclin, a potent vasodilator, and its analogues (e.g. treprostinil) can be used in case of refractory pulmonary hypertension. Prostaglandin E1 can be used to maintain ductus arteriosus patency and reduce right ventricular afterload.
– Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
What is the role of ECMO in babies with CDH?
ECMO functions as a heart-lung bypass, with the rationale to provide rest to the hypoplastic lungs, allowing them to grow and avoiding ventilation-induced barotrauma.
However, the indication for and use of ECMO are center-dependent and available evidence shows that survival for neonates with CDH is not affected by the use of ECMO.
Possible candidates for ECMO are:
- CDH babies with refractory hypoxemia (preductal SaO2<85%, postductal SaO2<70%)
- oxygenation index ≥40 for at least 3h
- persistent acidosis (lactate>5mmol/L; pH<7.2),
- persistent hypercapnia (pCO2 > 70 mmHg, with FiO2 100%) and/or
- hypotension resistant to fluid and inotrope therapy [2].
Relative contraindications include:
- weight <2 kg
- gestational age <34 weeks
- intraventricular hemorrhage (grade ≥ 2), or
- bleeding disorders [2].
When is the optimal timing for CDH repair?
- CDH is not considered a surgical emergency and preoperative stabilization before surgery is essential.
- Most surgeons would not perform CDH repair during the first day of life, as some babies may be in a “honeymoon period” of clinical stability before developing a pulmonary hypertensive crisis.
- Nonetheless, timing for CDH repair remains controversial, as it does not influence survival after adjusting for disease severity.
What are the possible surgical approaches for CDH repair?
Diaphragmatic repair can be performed from the abdomen (laparotomy or laparoscopy) or from the chest (thoracotomy or thoracoscopy) (Table 4.2).
The most commonly used approach is laparotomy [5].
What are the main steps of CDH surgery?
(1) Gentle and cautious reduction of the hernia contents back into the abdomen. Division of the umbilical vein and falciform ligament allows the liver rota- tion and reduction (especially in right-sided CDH with liver herniation, where hepatic veins and inferior vena cava are at risk of kinking).
(2) Assessment of hernia defect for size (Fig. 4.2) [6], presence of sac (in 20% of cases), and diaphragmatic tissue available for repair (the pericostal rim might not be present and needs to be developed to allow repair).
(3) Surgical repair with non-absorbable sutures:
a. Small defects—primary repair with interrupted non-absorbable sutures on the edge of the diaphragm
b. If muscle edges can be approximated, avoid a tight closure (high recurrence risk)
c. Large defects—repair with a natural or synthetic patch (the commonest is GoreTex , made of polytetrafluoroethylene) or autologous muscle flap (the commonest is the transversus abdominis).
The placement of a chest tube is not recommended.
How should a neonate with CDH be managed after surgery?
– gradually de-escalate mechanical ventilation
– no evidence for postoperative paralysis
– enteral feeding can be started when postoperative ileus is resolved, and
antireflux therapy should be started.
What are the main surgical complications?
Short-term
• Infection/sepsis
• Bleeding (mainly neonates treated with ECMO at the time of surgery)
• Early recurrence (2%, higher risk in defects size C and D, and cases repaired with minimally invasive surgery) [6]
• Chylothorax (5%, higher risk following patch repair and in neonates treated on ECMO)
• Pleural effusion (common, rarely requiring a drain as it will resolve with lung expansion)
• Abdominal compartment syndrome.
Long-term
• CDH recurrence (7–15%, higher risk after patch repair, in right-sided CDH, and in infants treated with ECMO)
• Adhesive small bowel obstruction (20%, higher risk after patch repair; the majority requires surgery)