[Delayed discovery of congenital diaphragmatic hernia: diagnostic difficulties. A report of two cases].

Delayed revelation of congenital diaphragmatic hernias (CDH) is not uncommon and can represent 5-30% of total CDHs. Time before diagnosis may be prolonged, sometimes to the adult period. Respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms are frequent but not specific. The clinical presentation of delayed CDH may thus mislead the practitioner. Diagnosis can be approached and/or confirmed by plain radiography. Outcome is usually favorable after surgery. We report two cases of delayed CDH and we discuss the difficulty of diagnosis.