The appearances of a ventral diaphragmatic hernia are variable.

In this case, the mass is smooth-contoured, with loss of the right heart border. The right hemidiaphragm is clearly visible. These signs locate the mass to the anterior and middle mediastinum.

The mass is less radiopaque than most of the surrounding soft tissue, suggesting that it may contain a large quantity of fat. There are no visible loops of bowel contained within the hernia.