Delayed Treatment of a Thoracic Wound with Lung Evisceration in the Kinshasa University Hospital, Democratic Republic of Congo

1. Abstract
Lung evisceration is a rare complication of a penetrating chest trauma. We report on the first case in Kinshasa University Hospital involving a thoracic wound with lung evisceration, treated 19 hours after the trauma.
2. Introduction
Lung Evisceration (LE) is a rare complication of a penetrating thoracic trauma [1-3]. Injury consists of the lung parenchyma protruding through the breach on the chest wall. Only few cases of lung evisceration have been reported [2, 3]. Numerous and life-threatening complications can occur, such as respiratory distress and/or hemorrhage, strangulation, torsion or lung parenchyma volvulus [3]. Patients with such trauma require emergency surgical treatment.