Hernia of the Stomach Through the Esophageal Orifice of the Diaphragm

An "esophageal orifice hernia," as the term is used throughout this article, is a protrusion of a portion of the fundus of the stomach through the esophageal opening of the diaphragm into the thorax. This condition was formerly considered very rare and of but slight clinical significance. Thus, in 1911, Eppinger¹summarized the literature on diaphragmatic hernia and reported that of 635 cases of herniation through various portions of the diaphragm, only eleven involved the esophageal hiatus. Quénu in 1920²found only one esophageal orifice hernia in a series of 116 cases which had come to operation. Breitner³stated that, of the large number of diaphragmatic hernias reported up to 1921, only forty-four had been diagnosed during the life of the patient, and in only six of these was the diagnosis made without the aid of the x-rays. These studies were carried out before the roentgen examination