Small bowel obstruction related to left-side paraduodenal hernia: CT findings

The role of computed tomography in the evaluation of patients with small bowel obstruction has been extensively described in the current literature. We report a rare case of small bowel obstruction related to a surgically proved left-side paraduodenal hernia detected on abdominal computed tomography.     

Strangulated transmesosigmoid hernia: CT diagnosis

We present a rare case of strangulated closed loop small bowel obstruction secondary to a trans-mesosigmoid hernia to emphasize the diagnostic role of computed tomography in patients with no history of previous surgery. The characteristic computed tomographic features showed a cluster of dilated, fluid-filled, U- and C-shaped loops of small bowel entrapped the left posterior and lateral to the sigmoid colon through a defect in the mesosigmoid, which caused anterior and medial displacement of the sigmoid colon.     

一例疑似小肠梗阻患者的循证CT诊断

目的针对急诊收治的一例疑似小肠梗阻(SBO)患者,检索当前最佳证据,为临床合理诊断提供依据。方法计算机检索MEDLINE/PubMed (1978～2006．4)、SUMsearch(1978～2006．4)、CNKI(1978～2006．4),查找有关计算机体层摄影术(CT)诊断小肠梗阻的系统评价、横断面研究等,并对所获证据进行评价。结果临床证据表明,与参考标准小肠造影及外科手术诊断相比较,CT诊断小肠梗阻的敏感度和特异度均较高,并能在早期明确梗阻的类型及病因,提高临床医师正确处理小肠梗阻的能力。据此临床证据,结合患者意愿,对患者进行CT检查,CT结果提示绞窄性小肠梗阻,需立即进行手术治疗。结论CT是诊断小肠梗阻敏感性及特异性均较高的影像学检查方法。     

An Obscure Cause of Hip Pain

Background: We describe the case of a 53-year-old woman with hip pain secondary to an obturator hernia. Obturator hernia is uncommon, and the most lethal of all abdominal hernias. The high mortality rate of this disease requires an acute clinical awareness to facilitate rapid diagnosis and surgical intervention for improved prognosis. Objectives: This case highlights a vitally important diagnosis that is rarely discussed in the emergency medicine literature. Case Report: Our patient presented without symptoms typical of a bowel obstruction, although a computed tomography scan of her pelvis revealed an incarcerated obturator hernia and a small bowel obstruction. Conclusions: Early diagnosis and expeditious surgical management resulted in a good outcome.     

Multidetector Row Computed Tomography of Small Bowel Obstruction

Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a common clinical problem, and clinical signs and symptoms often do not provide sufficient information for diagnosis or to guide management. During the past two decades, computed tomography has become a mainstay in the evaluation of patients with known or suspected small bowel obstruction. Computed tomography scans should be performed and interpreted with attention to establishing the diagnosis of small bowel obstruction, locating the transition point indicating the site of obstruction, and determining the cause of the obstruction. Complications that suggest the need for urgent surgical intervention, such as closed loop obstruction with superimposed ischemia and/or volvulus, should be sought in every case. Current generation multidetector row computed tomography scanners, with their isotropic resolution, now permit high-quality reformatted images to be obtained in multiple planes and facilitate identification of the transition point and other findings in SBO. Radiologists should be familiar with the myriad features of uncomplicated and complicated small bowel obstruction, which are reviewed in this article.     

CT of small bowel obstruction in adults

The increasing use of computed tomography in evaluating patients with acute abdominal pain has revolutionized the diagnosis of small bowel obstruction in adults. Computed tomography is incontestably the most useful and powerful tool to make positive, topographic, and etiologic diagnoses of small bowel obstruction. Good knowledge of some key signs and rigorous analysis of computed tomographic images by radiologists should lead to improved diagnosis and appropriate treatment.     

Needlescopic surgery for broad ligament hernia: A case report

Broad ligament hernia is a rare type of internal hernia. We herein report a case of broad ligament hernia successfully treated by needlescopic surgery. A 41‐year‐old woman was referred to our hospital with a complaint of nausea and vomiting. Abdominal contrast‐enhanced computed tomography showed diffuse dilatation of the small bowel accompanied by a caliber change at the right side of the uterus. She was thus diagnosed with small bowel obstruction due to incarceration through right broad ligament hernia. After bowel decompression, she underwent elective needlescopic surgery using 2‐ and 3‐mm instruments. The defect in the right broad ligament was closed with sutures, and she was discharged 2 days after surgery. In the treatment of broad ligament hernia without bowel ischemia, neither an abdominal incision nor any energy devices are required. In this respect, needlescopic surgery seems to be a promising approach among minimally invasive surgeries.     

Uncommon and Unusual Gastrointestinal Causes of the Acute Abdomen: Computed Tomographic Diagnosis

There is a wide variety of uncommon and unusual gastrointestinal causes of acute abdominal and pelvic pain that may be prospectively diagnosed on computed tomography. We demonstrate 10 such diagnoses and briefly review the current computed tomography and clinical literature on intussusception occurring beyond early childhood, small bowel obstruction from internal hernia, cecal volvulus, intramural small bowel hemorrhage, Boerhaave's syndrome, gastrointestinal luminal foreign bodies, small bowel diverticulitis, hemoperitoneum secondary to abdominal tumor; gallstone ileus, and gallbladder torsion. Radiologists and clinicians need to be aware of these disorders, particularly with the widespread utilization of computed tomography (CT) in the management of patients with acute abdominal pain.     

A case of strangulated small bowel obstruction caused by Meckel's diverticulum in an adult

Meckel's diverticulum results from incomplete closure of the omphalomesenteric duct, and is the most common congenital anomaly of the small intestine. We present a case report of a 42-year-old patient who developed a strangulated intestinal obstruction as a complication of Meckel's diverticulum. The strangulated bowel obstruction was suggested by contrast-enhanced computed tomography. He recovered after a diverticulectomy and had no need for a small bowel resection.     

Intramesosigmoid hernia: preoperative diagnostic MDCT findings

Internal hernias, protrusion of abdominal viscera into an intraperitoneal fossa, are uncommon causes of bowel obstruction, and preoperative diagnoses are difficult. We report a rare case of a 47-year-old female with strangulated small bowel obstruction secondary to an intramesosigmoid hernia preoperative diagnosis by multi-detector row computed tomography. We highlight the preoperatively diagnosed value and findings of MDCT in intramesosigmoid hernia.     

Ileocecal herniation through the foramen of Winslow: MDCT diagnosis

We report a rare case of small bowel obstruction of a 45-year-old female which was caused by internal hernia of the terminal ileum and cecum through the foramen of Winslow. The patient presented to the emergency department with acute abdominal pain, distention, and nausea, suggesting an intestinal obstruction. The complete unambiguous preoperative diagnosis was achieved by a 64-row multi-detector computed tomography. This report enlightens the utility and performances of high-quality computed tomography multiplanar reconstructions combined with vascular volume rendering analysis for the diagnosis of internal hernia.     

Internal hernia associated with Meckel's diverticulum in 2 pediatric patients

We report 2 pediatric cases of small bowel obstruction due to a Meckel's diverticulum complicated with internal hernia. Abdominal multidetector computed tomograms with multiple planar reconstructions revealed a bridge-like lesion with inconspicuous mucosal folds in the right lower quadrant formed by adhesion of the tip of Meckel's diverticulum with the adjacent mesentery, with ileal loops converging at the "bridge" and engorged mesenteric vessels. These 2 cases highlight the feasibility of multidetector computed tomography, especially in the ED, in revealing this unusual etiology of small bowel obstruction.     

Computed tomographic diagnosis of obturator foramen hernia

Computed tomography was performed on a patient presenting with cryptic small bowel obstruction. A correct preoperative diagnosis of obturator foramen hernia was arrived at based on the recognition of a loop of ileum protruding between the pectineus and external obturator muscles.     

Internal hernia caused by exposed structures after laparoscopic lateral lymph node dissection for rectal cancer: A case report

Internal hernias secondary to exposed structures after lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) for rectal cancer are rare. A 53-year-old man who underwent laparoscopic ultra-low anterior resection and bilateral LND presented to our emergency department with sudden-onset severe abdominal pain and vomiting. Computed tomography demonstrated a closed loop obstruction of the intestine in the right lateral pelvic cavity and a significantly dilated small bowel in the abdominal cavity. Laparoscopic surgery revealed small bowel migration into the space between the right ureter and umbilical artery. The herniated bowel was laparoscopically reduced, and the small bowel exhibited no ischemic changes. Meanwhile, the hernial orifice was left unrepaired. The patient was discharged on the seventh postoperative day without complications. An internal hernia caused by exposed structures after lymphadenectomy should be a differential diagnosis in patients who have undergone LLND for rectal cancer and then present with severe abdominal pain and vomiting.     

Incarceration of Meckel's diverticulum in a left paraduodenal Treitz' hernia

Meckel's diverticula incarcerated in a hernia were first described anecdotally by Littré, a French surgeon, in 1700. Meckel, a German anatomist and surgeon, explained the pathophysiology of this disease 100 years later. In addition, a congenital paraduodenal mesocolic hernia, known as a Treitz hernia, is a rare cause of small bowel obstruction. These hernias are caused by an abnormal rotation of the primitive midgut, resulting in a right or left paraduodenal hernia. We treated a patient presenting with pain and diagnosed extraluminal air in the abdomen after a computed tomography examination. We performed a laparotomy and found a combination of these two seldomly occurring congenital diseases, incarceration and perforation of Meckel's diverticulum in a left paraduodenal hernia. We performed a thorough review of the literature, and this report is the first to describe a patient with a combination of these two rare conditions. We considered the case regarding the variety of terminology as well as the treatment options of these conditions.     

Gallstone ileus: correlation between computed tomography, double-balloon enteroscopy and intra-operative findings

Gallstone ileus is an uncommon cause of small bowel obstruction, affecting mainly elderly patients. We report a case of gallstone ileus in an 88-year old female patient. The correlation between computed tomography, double-balloon enteroscopy and intra-operative findings is discussed, as well as treatment strategies.     

Internal hernias after abdominal surgeries: MDCT features

As less-invasive treatments for small bowel obstruction, such as laparoscopic surgery or small incision therapy, have become common, there is a growing demand for preoperative assessment of the cause and location of the small bowel obstruction. Thus, the role of computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of small bowel obstruction is expanding. CT imaging of internal hernias (IHs) has been extensively described and is well established; however, CT imaging of IH after abdominal surgeries is not well recognized because of their anatomical complexity. The aims of this pictorial review are (1) to evaluate the causes of internal IHs in relation to previous abdominal surgery (e.g., IH associated with Roux-en-Y reconstruction, Billroth II reconstruction, peritoneal adhesive band, perineal hernia, and IH after gynecological procedures), (2) to demonstrate the spectrum of imaging findings on multidetector CT (MDCT), and (3) explain the key features for CT diagnosis of IHs related to previous surgical procedures, with emphasis on the multi-planar reformation (MPR) image. We also demonstrate the dynamic changes in the progression of mesenteric strangulation revealed by CT. Understanding the imaging appearance on MDCT can help radiologists guide therapy for patients with a small bowel obstruction after abdominal surgery.     

Right paraduodenal hernia successfully treated with laparoscopic surgery

A 23‐year‐old Japanese man presented with a history of sudden‐onset right abdominal pain accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Contrast‐enhanced CT showed a large cluster on the right side of the retroperitoneum, with most of the small bowel incarcerated. The patient was diagnosed with small bowel obstruction caused by a right paraduodenal hernia, and emergency laparoscopic surgery was performed. The large retroperitoneal cluster on the right side contained almost all segments of the small bowel, although the incarcerated bowel showed no evidence of volvulus or ischemia. The bowel was reduced, and the hernia orifice was closed. The patient made good progress and was discharged 7 days after surgery. We herein report an acute case of right paraduodenal hernia with small bowel obstruction that was successfully treated with emergency laparoscopic surgery. With an early preoperative diagnosis, laparoscopic surgery is appropriate for the treatment of right paraduodenal hernia.     

Early diagnosis of bowel obstruction and strangulation by computed tomography in emergency department

BACKGROUND:

Closed loop bowel obstruction is a specific type of mechanical obstruction with a high risk of strangulation and bowel infarction, especially in the small bowel. It is associated with a high mortality rate. Hence, it is important for emergency physicians to identify the presence of strangulation, while making the diagnosis of closed loop small bowel obstruction.

METHODS:

We reported three patients with strangulated closed loop small bowel obstruction associated with severe abdominal pain, who had been treated at the emergency department. Urgent computerized tomography was performed in the patients.

RESULTS:

Two patients were discharged with stable conditions, and one patient died after hemodialysis.

CONCLUSION:

Urgent computerized tomography of the abdomen serves as an important diagnostic tool in view of its ability to detect the site, level and cause of obstruction along with the distinctive CT appearance of closed loop small bowel obstruction and signs of ischemia. Early definitive diagnosis will guide subsequent management and improve outcomes.KEY WORDS: Closed loop small bowel obstruction, Computed tomography, Ischemia, Strangulation     

Preoperative diagnosis of obturator hernia by computed tomography

A retrospective study of 6 patients with obturator hernia diagnosed before surgery by X-ray and computed tomography (CT) was conducted between 1993 and 2000. The initial CT of the abdomen including the pelvic area revealed incarcerated bowel in the obturator foramen of all 6 patients. All patients underwent laparotomy as soon as possible after CT scans were obtained. Resection of the small bowel was performed in 3 patients, and release of the small bowel was performed in the remaining 3 patients. There were no perioperative deaths. In elderly women who show evidence of small bowel obstruction by abdominal plain x-ray studies, we recommend performing CT scans of the abdomen including the pelvic area for detection of obturator hernia.