Case report: Obturator hernia: Diagnosis and surgical treatment

BackgroundObturator hernia (OH) is a rare external abdominal hernia, accounting for only 0.07%–1% of all hernia cases. Because the female pelvis is wider and there is less preperitoneal adipose tissue, the obturator canal is larger, which can lead to herniation of abdominal contents when abdominal p...

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Main Authors: Han Li, Xuefeng Cao, Lingqun Kong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Surgery
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2023.1159246/full
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author Han Li
Han Li
Xuefeng Cao
Lingqun Kong
author_facet Han Li
Han Li
Xuefeng Cao
Lingqun Kong
author_sort Han Li
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundObturator hernia (OH) is a rare external abdominal hernia, accounting for only 0.07%–1% of all hernia cases. Because the female pelvis is wider and there is less preperitoneal adipose tissue, the obturator canal is larger, which can lead to herniation of abdominal contents when abdominal pressure increases in elderly women with thin body. The clinical symptoms of patients with obturator hernia included abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, etc., and the mass in the inguinal region could not be touched. The positive Howship-Romberg sign is a specific sign of OH. CT is the first choice for the diagnosis of obturator hernia. Since intestinal incarceration in OH patients is prone to lead to intestinal necrosis, emergency surgical treatment is often required. However, due to the lack of specificity of its clinical manifestations, the misdiagnosis rate is high, which often leads to the delay of diagnosis and treatment.MethodsWe report the case of an 86-year-old woman with a thin body and a history of multiple deliveries. The patient presented with abdominal pain, bloating, and constipation for 5 days. Physical examination revealed a positive Howship-Romberg sign on the right side, and CT examination suggested intestinal obstruction. Therefore, an urgent exploratory laparotomy was performed.ResultsAfter opening the abdominal cavity we found that the wall of the ileum was embedded in the right obturator, and the proximal bowel was significantly dilated. We restored the embedded bowel wall to its original position, resected the necrotic bowel and performed an end-to-end anastomosis of the small intestine. The right hernia orifice was sutured, and OH was diagnosed during the operation.ConclusionThis article summarizes the diagnosis and treatment of OH by sharing this case, so as to provide a more detailed plan for early diagnosis and treatment of OH.
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spelling doaj.art-45542179834a466096f49ade7d8a32402023-04-25T13:59:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Surgery2296-875X2023-04-011010.3389/fsurg.2023.11592461159246Case report: Obturator hernia: Diagnosis and surgical treatmentHan Li0Han Li1Xuefeng Cao2Lingqun Kong3Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zibo Central Hospital, Zibo, ChinaBinzhou Medical University, Binzhou, ChinaDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, ChinaDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, ChinaBackgroundObturator hernia (OH) is a rare external abdominal hernia, accounting for only 0.07%–1% of all hernia cases. Because the female pelvis is wider and there is less preperitoneal adipose tissue, the obturator canal is larger, which can lead to herniation of abdominal contents when abdominal pressure increases in elderly women with thin body. The clinical symptoms of patients with obturator hernia included abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, etc., and the mass in the inguinal region could not be touched. The positive Howship-Romberg sign is a specific sign of OH. CT is the first choice for the diagnosis of obturator hernia. Since intestinal incarceration in OH patients is prone to lead to intestinal necrosis, emergency surgical treatment is often required. However, due to the lack of specificity of its clinical manifestations, the misdiagnosis rate is high, which often leads to the delay of diagnosis and treatment.MethodsWe report the case of an 86-year-old woman with a thin body and a history of multiple deliveries. The patient presented with abdominal pain, bloating, and constipation for 5 days. Physical examination revealed a positive Howship-Romberg sign on the right side, and CT examination suggested intestinal obstruction. Therefore, an urgent exploratory laparotomy was performed.ResultsAfter opening the abdominal cavity we found that the wall of the ileum was embedded in the right obturator, and the proximal bowel was significantly dilated. We restored the embedded bowel wall to its original position, resected the necrotic bowel and performed an end-to-end anastomosis of the small intestine. The right hernia orifice was sutured, and OH was diagnosed during the operation.ConclusionThis article summarizes the diagnosis and treatment of OH by sharing this case, so as to provide a more detailed plan for early diagnosis and treatment of OH.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2023.1159246/fullobturator herniaold womandiagnosetreatmentcase report
spellingShingle Han Li
Han Li
Xuefeng Cao
Lingqun Kong
Case report: Obturator hernia: Diagnosis and surgical treatment
Frontiers in Surgery
obturator hernia
old woman
diagnose
treatment
case report
title Case report: Obturator hernia: Diagnosis and surgical treatment
title_full Case report: Obturator hernia: Diagnosis and surgical treatment
title_fullStr Case report: Obturator hernia: Diagnosis and surgical treatment
title_full_unstemmed Case report: Obturator hernia: Diagnosis and surgical treatment
title_short Case report: Obturator hernia: Diagnosis and surgical treatment
title_sort case report obturator hernia diagnosis and surgical treatment
topic obturator hernia
old woman
diagnose
treatment
case report
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2023.1159246/full
work_keys_str_mv AT hanli casereportobturatorherniadiagnosisandsurgicaltreatment
AT hanli casereportobturatorherniadiagnosisandsurgicaltreatment
AT xuefengcao casereportobturatorherniadiagnosisandsurgicaltreatment
AT lingqunkong casereportobturatorherniadiagnosisandsurgicaltreatment