The aim of this study is to stress the patients with traumatic diaphragmatic injuries difficulties in diagnosis of and evaluation of treatment. In a 10 year period, between 1988 to 1998, 11 patients with traumatic rupture of diaphragm were treated in Dicle University Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery department. Causes of trauma were blunt in 10 patients, and penetrating in 1 patient. The most frequent complaints and physical findings were dyspnea, chest pain, abdominal distention and absence of breathing sounds. The most frequent radiographic findings were obscuration of the diaphragmatic shadow, elevation of the diaphragm and visceral herniation to the chest. Intervention was performed in the acute period in 7 and within 30 days in 4 cases. Diaphragmatic rupture was seen at right in 2 cases, andet left in 9 cases. All cases had thoracic herniation of abdominal vissera. The most frequent herniated organ was the stomach . All cases were male and mean age was 25.7 years. The diaphragm was repaired with nonabsorbable suture material in all cases. The mortality was 9.1%, which was alue to associated injuries or their sequelae. As a result, diaphragmatic injuries may be overlooked because of simultuneous organ injuries masking the scene. Diaphragmatic injury have to be kept in mind in upper abdomen and distal chest injuries, for roly management earlier that have been decreas mortality and morbidity.

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