Obturator hernia: An uncommon case of intestinal obstruction

The patient is an 88-year-old woman, with no relevant medical history. She was evaluated in the emergency department for colicky abdominal pain radiating towards the inner side of the left knee that had evolved over the previous week. She reported associated nausea and vomiting, with normal bowel movements. Physical examination revealed a distended abdomen with tympanic sounds and diffuse pain.

Abdominal X-ray showed obstruction of the small intestine. Abdominal-pelvic CT scan revealed intestinal obstruction secondary to a left obturator hernia (Figs. 1 and 2).

Figure 1

Figure 2

Urgent surgery was performed, which included hernia repair using a Nyhus mesh, resection of the short segment of the small intestine, and end-to-end manual anastomosis. The patient’s postoperative progress was favorable.

Diagnosis: Left obturator hernia