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Q79.1: Other congenital malformations of diaphragm

Your diaphragm has not developed properly. This condition is congenital, which means you were born with it.

The diaphragm separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. Above the diaphragm are the lungs and the heart. Beneath the diaphragm are the stomach, liver and spleen. In the diaphragm there are some openings which the large blood vessels and the esophagus run through. The diaphragm is a large breathing muscle. The diaphragm tenses when we breathe in. This lowers the diaphragm. This allows the lungs to expand and take in more air. When we breathe out, the diaphragm relaxes, rising up as it does so.

No one knows the exact reason why the diaphragm does not always develop properly before birth.

Your diaphragm may have stretched a great deal. As a result, your abdominal cavity has become enlarged towards the top, causing the organs in the chest cavity – such as the lungs to – have less space than normal. However, it is also possible that you have no diaphragm. The symptoms depend on how exactly the diaphragm has changed. It may be that you are unable to breathe properly, for example. This defect of the diaphragm sometimes causes serious illness.

Additional indicator

On medical documents, the ICD code is often appended by letters that indicate the diagnostic certainty or the affected side of the body.

  • G: Confirmed diagnosis
  • V: Tentative diagnosis
  • Z: Condition after
  • A: Excluded diagnosis
  • L: Left
  • R: Right
  • B: Both sides

Further information

Note

This information is not intended for self-diagnosis and does not replace professional medical advice from a doctor. If you find an ICD code on a personal medical document, please also note the additional indicator used for diagnostic confidence.
Your doctor will assist you with any health-related questions and explain the ICD diagnosis code to you in a direct consultation if necessary.

Source

Provided by the non-profit organization “Was hab’ ich?” gemeinnützige GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).