Morgagni hernia with respiratory failure aggravated by noninvasive positive pressure ventilation: A case report and overview of the literature

An elderly woman diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM) in 2007 had improved with chemotherapy. She had severe kyphosis and a diaphragmatic hernia (DH), but no respiratory symptoms. In 2011, because of thoracic deformity and emaciation, we advised her to continue the previously prescribed domiciliary noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) therapy for chronic type II respiratory failure. However, she refused to continue NPPV. She was later admitted for deterioration in respiratory status and carbon dioxide (CO2) narcosis. We believed her low adherence to domiciliary NPPV caused CO2 narcosis; hence, we advised her to continue domiciliary NPPV and she complied. In May 2012, the now 79-year-old patient was admitted for acute exacerbation of chronic respiratory failure and CO2 narcosis. Chest imaging suggested that DH had caused a deterioration of her status. She underwent laparoscopic diaphragmatic hernia repair. Operative findings revealed a retrosternal hernia sac, and she was diagnosed as having a Morgagni hernia (MH). Her respiratory status subsequently improved. We hypothesize that NPPV increased intra-abdominal pressure, thereby worsening the MH and exacerbating respiratory failure. We believe that clinicians should be cautious when prescribing NPPV for MH patients.