Stab wounds of the chest can penetrate the abdomen by crossing the diaphragm. Penetrating thoracoabdominal trauma presents a difficult diagnostic dilemma, and the management of penetrating trauma to the lower chest and upper abdomen continue to genera...
Stab wounds of the chest can penetrate the abdomen by crossing the diaphragm. Penetrating thoracoabdominal trauma presents a difficult diagnostic dilemma, and the management of penetrating trauma to the lower chest and upper abdomen continue to generate interest, controversy, and much discussion. The intrathoracic abdomen, as defined by the Advanced Trauma Life Support Guidelines of the American Colleague of Surgeons, is the area protected by the bony thorax extending from the nipple line to the costal margins. Injury to the diaphragm is the most difficult to assess after a penetrating trauma. We report a case of a stab wound to the chest with diaphragmatic penetration which resulted in displacement of the broken knife into the abdominal cavity.