Common findings on chest x-ray include cyst like structures representing loops of bowel filling the left hemithorax, mediastinal shift to the right, and varying degrees of gas in the abdomen.

Chest x-ray findings:

• Left hemithorax is filled with cystlike structures (loops of bowel).
• Mediastinum is shifted to the right.^[1]
• Abdomen is relatively devoid of gas; visible gas above the diaphragm may be seen.^[2]

• If the chest radiograph is obtained before any air has entered the herniated bowel, diagnosing this condition with accuracy may be difficult. Similar difficulty arises when the liver alone is in the right hemithorax. In either case, the involved hemithorax is partially or totally opacified.