PICTURES IN DIGESTIVE PATHOLOGY

 

Obturator hernia responsible for intestinal obstruction

Hernia obturatriz de oclusión intestinal

 

 

José María Daroca-José

Department of General Surgery and Digestive Diseases. Hospital General de Castellón. Castellón de la Plana, Spain

 

 

Case report

A women of 87 years was moved to the surgery service because of abdominal pain and distention of 24 hours of evolution accompanied by vomiting without emission of gases or stool.

No relevant medical history.

Examination revealed a distended, soft and palpable, tympanic abdomen, with no peritonitis and no appreciable hernia defects.

Laboratory tests showed leukocytosis with neutrophilia and plain abdominal radiography showed dilated bowel loops.

Given the suspicion of an obstruction of the small intestine, it was performed an abdominal and pelvic CT scan urgently, which disclosed an image of left obturator hernia as a cause of occlusion, presence of dilated small bowel loops and free fluid. (Fig. 1)

 

The patient was operated urgently carrying out a herniaplasty without bowel resection. After surgery the patient did well.

 

Recommended References

1. Bueno Lledó J, Serralta Serra A, Dobón Giménez F, Galeano Senabre J, Ballester Ibáñez C, Ibáñez Palacín F y cols. Reparación de hernia obturatriz con malla de polipropileno. Cir Esp 2000;67:516-7.         [ Links ]

2. Mena A, De Juan A, Larrañaga I, Aguilera A, Fernández de Bobadilla L, Fresneda V. Hernia obturatriz: análisis de nuestra serie y revisión de la enfermedad. Cir Esp 2002;72: 67-71.         [ Links ]

3. Meziane MA. Fishman, EK. Siejelman, SS. Computed tomographic diagnosis of obturador hernia. Gastrointestinal Radiol 1983;8:375-7.         [ Links ]

4. Priego P, Mena A, De Juan A. Diagnóstico y tratamiento de la hernia obturatriz: Análisis de nuestra experiencia. Rev Chilena de Cirugía; 2010;62:121-137.         [ Links ]