ABSTRACT
We report a 76 years old female presenting in the emergency room with a history of abdominal pain lasting seven days. A plain abdominal X ray showed few fluid filled loops. Due to persistence of pain and appearance of vomiting, an abdominal CAT sean showed a short bowel obstruction caused by an obturator hernia. The patient was operated, correcting the defect with a mesh. The postoperative evolution was uneventful.
La hernia obturatriz es una rara causa de obstrucción intestinal, se presenta en pacientes mujeres adultos mayores, desnutridos y postrados; se asocia a una elevada mortalidad por los antecedentes mórbidos de los pacientes y al bajo índice de sospecha. Se recomienda el uso de la tomografía axial computada como técnica de elección para el diagnóstico en pacientes con sospecha clínica. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar un caso clínico de una paciente con hernia obturatriz que consultó en nuestro servicio de urgencia y se solicitó tomografía de abdomen y pelvis para completar estudio que requirió laparotomía exploradora ante el cuadro clínico y los hallazgos imagenológicos.
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Aged , Hernia, Obturator/surgery , Hernia, Obturator/diagnosis , Intestinal Obstruction/etiology , Polypropylenes , Surgical Mesh , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Background: Obturator hernia is a rare type of hernia. Because symptoms and signs are non-specific, diagnosis and treatment are often delayed, increasing the rate of strangulation and mortality. Material and Methods: A retrospective study was performed in 17 cases of obturator hernia at Ramón y Cajal Hospital between January 1986 and December of 2007. Results: All patients were women with a mean age of 77 years (range 19-88 years). Mean time from onset of symptoms to surgery was 3 days (range 0-10 days). Howship-Romberg sign was positive in five cases (29,4 percent). Emergency surgery was performed in 16 cases (94 percent) and elective surgery in one (6 percent). CT has increased the rate of preoperative diagnosis from 16,6 percent to 41,2 percent, however, the rate of strangulation of bowel was 47 percent, requiring intestinal resection ten patients (59 percent). Hernia repair was performed using polypropylene mesh in 8 cases (47 percent) and by means of simple suture and apposition of the peritoneum in the rest 9 cases. Mean hospital postoperative stay was 11,65 days (range 4-26 days) and mortality was 23,5 percent. Conclusion: Although CT sean has facilitated us the correct diagnosis of obturator hernia, decreasing the mean time from onset of symptoms to surgery to 3 days, we could not reduce the rate of intestinal resection and mortality.
La hernia obturatriz es una entidad rara, con frecuente ausencia de signos y síntomas específicos, lo que retrasa su diagnóstico y tratamiento, y por ello puede presentar una elevada tasa de estrangulación y mortalidad. Material y Métodos: Efectuamos un estudio retrospectivo sobre 17 casos de hernia obturatriz en el Hospital Ramón y Cajal entre enero de 1986 y diciembre de 2007. Resultados: Todos los pacientes eran mujeres con una edad media de 77 años (rango 19-88 años). El tiempo medio desde el inicio de los síntomas hasta la cirugía fue de 3 días (rango 1-10 días). El signo de Howship- Romberg fue positivo en 5 casos (29,4 por ciento). Se efectuaron 16 intervenciones con carácter de urgente (94 por ciento) y una de forma electiva (6 por ciento). La realización de un TAC va a incrementar la tasa de diagnóstico preoperatorio de un 16,6 por ciento a un 41,2 por ciento. La tasa de estrangulación fue de 47 por ciento, requiriendo resección intestinal 10 pacientes (59 por ciento). En 8 ocasiones se reparó el defecto hemiario con una malla de polipropileno (47 por ciento), siendo con cierre simple y aposición del peritoneo en los 9 restantes. La estancia media postoperatoria fue de 11,65 días (rango 4-26 días) y la tasa de mortalidad de 23,5 por ciento. Conclusión: Aunque la realización del TAC ha incrementado la tasa de diagnóstico preoperatorio, disminuyendo el tiempo desde la aparición de los síntomas hasta la cirugía a 3 días, no hemos podido reducir la tasa de resección intestinal y mortalidad.
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Hernia, Obturator/surgery , Hernia, Obturator/diagnosis , Hernia, Obturator/complications , Length of Stay , Intestinal Obstruction/etiology , Postoperative Complications , Polypropylenes/therapeutic use , Retrospective Studies , Surgical Mesh , Suture TechniquesABSTRACT
An elderly emaciated female patient presented with recurrent lower abdominal pain associated with nausea and vomiting due to obstruction of the small bowel. Although the Howship-Romberg sign and tender mass on digital rectal examination could not ascertained but plain X-ray abdomen shows features of acute intestinal obstruction. After resuscitation laparotomy was done and diagnosed as case of strangulated obturator hernia of Ricters type. Reduction of hernial content and resection of the gangrenous part of small bowel with end-to-end anastomosis done. The hernial defect is repaired by a proleine mesh. Abdomen closed in layers keeping a drain in right iliac fossa and pelvic cavity. The postoperative recovery was uneventful. Patient discharge with advice on 9th postoperative day.
Subject(s)
Aged, 80 and over , Female , Hernia, Obturator/diagnosis , HumansABSTRACT
Incarcerated obturator hernia is rara, only approcimately 550 cases appearing in the literature since the first case was reported in 1924. The three cases treated at the university Hospital of the west Indies are presented. they demonstrate many of the clinical features of the condition. Most cases occur in elderly womwn and they almost always present with symptoms and signs of small bowel obstruction. Pressure on the abturator nerve by the hernial sac in the obturator canal results in a positive Howship-Romberg sign in about 50% of patients. If the diagnosis is suspected pre-operatively, confirmation may be obrained by computerized tomography. this, hower, seems unnecessary as prompt exploration is advisable due to the high incidence of gangrene of the vowel. At surgery at reduction frequently result in damage to the small bowel, and resection is often necessary due to injury or gangrene. Closure of the entrance to the canal with interrupted non-absorbable sutures is adequate, and prosthetic material is necessary only for very large defects. The high mortality rate reported is probably due to the age and poor general condition of affected patients