| Traumatic abdominal wall hernia, a rare cause of hernia, has a confusing clinical picture and requires a high index of suspicion for prompt diagnosis and management. Such hernias, if missed, can result in high morbidity and may prove fatal. Distinction from a pre-existing hernia is important as well. We report our experience in two such cases, which had presented in a span of 9 months, and submit a brief analysis of 50 reviewed cases. ( info) |
2/45. Inguinal mass due to an external supravesical hernia and acute abdomen due to an internal supravesical hernia: a case report and review of the literature. Although supravesical hernias were described as early as 1804, there have been fewer than 100 cases reported in the literature. The supravesical fossa is a triangular area bounded laterally and above by median and medial umbilical ligaments, and below by the peritoneal reflection that passes from the anterior abdominal wall to the dome of the bladder. A hernia starting in this fossa usually protrudes through the abdominal wall as a direct inguinal hernia (external supravesical hernia). Less commonly, it remains within the abdomen, passing into spaces around the bladder (internal supravesical hernia). A 43-year-old mill worker presented with an enlarged painful mass in the left groin. He underwent a surgical repair of a direct inguinal hernia without addressing an unrecognized supravesicular component. Eight hours after his discharge next morning, he presented with acute abdomen, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal distention. The second surgery revealed the presence of a left lateral internal supravesical hernia with incarcerated small bowel. This was also repaired, and the patient was discharged in stable condition. This report aims to review and discuss the surgical anatomy of these rare supravesical hernias and calls attention to this type of hernia as an unusual cause of small bowel obstruction. ( info) |
| A case of traumatic abdominal hernia is reported in a patient with a history of chronic cough. After a bout of coughing 3 months prior to her presentation, the patient developed a large herniation on the left lateral side of the abdomen. The patient presented with intestinal obstruction due to the herniation. A CT scanning confirmed the hernia and showed a peritoneal defect with herniation of most of the intestine on the left lateral side of the abdomen. An emergency midline laparotomy was performed, and the defect was corrected. ( info) |
4/45. A case of a traumatic abdominal wall hernia that could not be identified until exploratory laparoscopy was performed. Traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH) is a rare condition secondary to blunt abdominal trauma in children. We herein report an 8-year-old boy who developed TAWH after falling onto a bicycle handlebar. Neither physical examination nor radiological findings suggested a diagnosis of TAWH at first presentation. TAWH in the right lower quadrant could not be identified until exploratory laparoscopy was performed. An open surgical repair was done, and the postoperative course was uneventful. The literature on pediatric TAWH is briefly reviewed and the findings discussed. ( info) |
5/45. Paraduodenal hernia: an uncommon cause of recurrent abdominal pain. Internal abdominal hernias are a rare entity and may cause unexplained abdominal pain. This report concerns a 46 year old male patient, with a four year history of episodic colicky peristaltic abdominal pains, in whom a left paraduodenal hernia was found at surgical exploration after a negative diagnostic screening by ultrasound, CT and small bowel enema. Upon laparotomy the Authors found a left-sided paraduodenal hernia with an empty herniated sack. Repair of the hernial defect resulted in the complete and stable resolution of abdominal symptoms. The importance of considering paraduodenal hernias in the differential diagnosis of unexplained intermittent abdominal pain is discussed. ( info) |
| Traumatic abdominal wall herniation (TAWH) caused by direct trauma from bicycle handlebars are rare. There are only 21 reported cases of handlebar hernias. An 11-year-old boy presented to the emergency room soon after falling from his bicycle and hitting his right lower quadrant on the handlebars. The patient's vital signs and initial laboratory studies were normal. Physical exam showed a soft tissue bulge in the right lower quadrant with superficial ecchymosis and tenderness to palpation. Computed tomography showed intestinal loops protruding through a defect in the abdominal wall into the subcutaneous space. Surgical exploration found a defect throughout his entire abdominal wall including the fascia, muscular layers, and peritoneum, with bowel protruding into the subcutaneous space. The defect was repaired in layers, and the child's postoperative course was unevenful. The authors recommend a high level of clinical suspicion for TAWH in all patients with traumatic abdominal wall injuries. Definitive treatment includes surgical exploration with primary repair of all tissue layers of the abdominal wall. ( info) |
7/45. Handlebar hernia with jejunal and duodenal injuries: a case report. Traumatic abdominal wall hernia is an uncommon complication of abdominal blunt trauma. Handlebar hernia is even more infrequent. To the best of our knowledge, there are fewer than 30 cases of handlebar hernia reported in the English literature. Associated intra-abdominal injuries are infrequent. We present a case of handlebar hernia with jejunal and duodenal injuries. Emergency surgical intervention included primary repair of the disrupted musculofascial defect and injuries of the duodenum and jejunum. bile-stained discharge from the drain tube was noted, so a second operation was performed about 7 days after the first. Leakage from the sutured jejunal perforation and another irregular perforation in the posterior wall of the fourth portion of the duodenum were noted. The two perforations were debrided and repaired. The muscular and fascial defects were debrided and closed with interrupted sutures. The patient recovered smoothly and was discharged 30 days after the blunt injury. No other major complication was noted 11 months after surgery. ( info) |
8/45. Laparoscopic management of an internal double omental hernia: a rare cause of intestinal obstruction. INTRODUCTION: Internal hernia is a very rare cause of intestinal obstruction (0.2-0.9% of cases), associated with 45% mortality. A review of the literature revealed just eight reported cases of double omental hernia since 1950 of which our patient is the first case successfully treated laparoscopically. CASE PRESENTATION: We report on a 29-year-old man who presented with signs and symptoms of intestinal obstruction. The patient underwent emergent exploratory laparoscopy. This revealed herniation of a 20-cm jejunal loop through the gastrocolic ligament and reemergence through a defect in the gastrohepatic ligament. The strangulated loop was reduced with slight traction, and the defect was repaired. The patient was discharged from hospital in just 5 days' time, and after 6 months of follow-up, the general condition of the patient was normal. CONCLUSIONS: laparoscopy is a good technique with minimal complications compared with laparotomy. As many cases are missed due to nonspecific signs and symptoms, an urgent laparoscopy or laparotomy is highly recommended in such a situation. ( info) |
| Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts are the most common treatment modality for hydrocephalus. Distal catheter malfunction represents a surgical emergency and a significant cause of procedural morbidity. We report the case of a patient with acute abdominal pain following VP shunt insertion. On examination she had a tender, irreducible bulge at the abdominal laparotomy site. Exploratory laparoscopy of the abdomen yielded no abdominal wall abnormalities. At the same time, the distal catheter was noted to be absent. The abdominal bulge was incised along the laparotomy scar and clear cerebrospinal fluid was encountered. The incision was explored and the distal catheter was coiled and knotted within the preperitoneal space. The catheter was laparoscopically returned to the peritoneal cavity. This case exemplifies the utility of laparoscopy for VP shunt revision and we present a review of laparoscopic shunt revision. ( info) |
10/45. Left paraduodenal hernia leading to protein-losing enteropathy in childhood. A 3-year-old girl presented with a protein-losing enteropathy caused by left paraduodenal hernia, as diagnosed by computed tomography and a small-bowel follow-through image. The patient received surgical treatment, and her postoperative course was uneventful. Nineteen days later, the serum protein and albumin had recovered to normal levels. As well as providing the first description of left paraduodenal hernia accompanied with protein-losing enteropathy, we also review the pertinent literature. ( info) |