Hepatic pulmonary fusion: two cases with diaphragmatic hernia and one case with Pentalogy of Cantrell.

Hepatic pulmonary fusion (HPF) is characterized by a fibrous connection between the liver and lung tissue. We present two cases of hepatic pulmonary fusion diagnosed with right diaphragmatic hernia and a third case with Pentalogy of Cantrell exhibiting complete agenesis of the diaphragm and finger-like projections of liver adhered to the right lung. It has been proposed that this anomaly is secondary to developmental failure of the mesoderm between days 14-18 after conception and is attributed to diaphragmatic maldevelopment. Understanding the molecular-genetic basis of diaphragmatic hernias may shed light on this unusual presentation and explain why other cases show no fusion.