Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (Cdh) With Intrathoracic Spleen And Sudden Cardiac Arrest: A Case Report And Literature Review

Background: A case is reported of sudden unexpected death, prior to surgery, in a preterm infant with a left sided CDH with an intrathoracic spleen and pyloric atresia. This combination is relatively rare. We review the mechanisms for sudden death in CDH and postulate that unusual phasic T wave alternation (TWA), a well described ECG finding in the setting of raised intrathoracic pressure may have induced a ventricular arrhythmia. Methods: A structured database literature search was performed using the terms: diaphragmatic hernia, arrhythmia, sudden death, neonate.No language restriction was used. The literature…