Incarceration of umbilical hernia during pregnancy due to a sessile fibroid

The incidence of both umbilical hernias and fibroids during pregnancy is reported to be rare. Another rare entity is the incarceration of fibroids in pregnancy. We report here the case of a 30-year-old woman in her 32nd gestational week with an incarcerated umbilical hernia. She was operated on an emergency basis, the sessile fibroid was mobilized and the hernia defect was repaired with the Mayo technique. No complications were observed during the post-operative period. She gave birth to a baby girl during the 38th gestational week by means of a cesarean section. The possibility of a fibroid entrapped in the hernial sac should always be taken into consideration at the evaluation of incarcerated hernias during pregnancy. If the contents of the hernial sac cannot be pushed into the abdominal cavity easily, an emergency operation should be considered as a means to prevent further complications related to pregnancy.     

Symptomatic Right-Sided Diaphragmatic Hernia in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

Background:

Laparoscopic repair of incarcerated diaphragmatic hernias is widely recognized as both safe and effective. However, symptomatic diaphragmatic hernias encountered in the setting of pregnancy, while rare, present a significant surgical challenge. Furthermore, right-sided diaphragmatic hernias account for only 13% of cases. Here, we present a case in which a symptomatic, posterior right-sided diaphragmatic hernia, presenting in the later stages of pregnancy, was successfully repaired using a laparoscopic approach.

Methods:

Our patient is a 42-y-old gravid woman who, at 27 wk gestation, was admitted to the gynecology service with a 2-d history of right upper quadrant abdominal pain, right shoulder pain, abdominal distension, and obstipation.

Results:

Computed tomography of the chest demonstrated an incarcerated right diaphragmatic hernia. Surgical consultation was obtained, and the patient was taken to the operating room urgently for repair. Intraoperatively, the cecum was reduced and the diaphragm repaired primarily using a laparoscopic approach. The patient recovered well and was discharged home on postoperative day 8 with no complications to the patient or the pregnancy.

Conclusion:

Laparoscopic reduction and repair of symptomatic incarcerated diaphragmatic hernia can be safely performed in the third trimester of pregnancy.     

Diagnosis and operative management of a perforated de Garengeot hernia

IntroductionA de Garengeot hernia, a femoral hernia containing the appendix, is a difficult diagnosis often made intra-operatively when the hernia sac is opened. It is a rare finding, and complications are more frequent with a de Garengeot hernia.Presentation of caseA 92 year-old female presented to the emergency department (ED) complaining of abdominal pain. A computed tomographic (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis demonstrated a hernia anterior to the inguinal ligament without strangulation. Two weeks later the patient returned to the ED with worsening abdominal pain in the right lower quadrant. Repeat CT scan demonstrated a 7 × 4 cm complex fluid collection in the right inguinal region, and the patient was taken to the operating room for exploration. The hernia sac was entered and found to contain the appendix with evidence of distal perforation. The appendix was taken out, and the hernia defect was repaired. The patient tolerated the procedure well.DiscussionFemoral hernias have a high risk of incarceration due to the tightness of the femoral canal (Talini et al. 2015 [4]). Due to anatomic location of the appendix, de Garengeot hernias are most often seen on the right. Incarceration of the appendix is a clear etiology for appendicitis secondary to ischemia.ConclusionFull preoperative workup for a femoral hernia often fails to diagnose the presence of the appendix within the hernia. It is important to have a high clinical suspicion for a de Garengeot’s hernia in patients with incarcerated or strangulated right femoral hernias.     

De Garengeot’s Hernia: a Diagnostic Challenge

Surgical literature defines the case of acute appendicitis in a sac of femoral hernia as de Garengeot’s hernia. The diagnosis remains a very hard challenge for surgeon because the symptoms are aspecific and the most effective tools for preoperative evaluation (as abdominal computed tomography and abdominal ultrasound scan) can often be indeterminate or misinterpreted. We report the case of an 85-year-old white male admitted to our unit complaining of a 1-day history of vague abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and painful swelling in the right groin. Preoperatively, an incarcerated right femoral hernia was supposed and patient underwent surgery via oblique inguinal incision. The intraoperative finding was a de Garengeot’s hernia and an appendectomy with hernia repair was performed. Patient had a regular course and was discharged on the second postoperative day.     

Richter hernia: surgical anatomy and technique of repair

Richter hernia (partial enterocele) is the protrusion and/or strangulation of only part of the circumference of the intestine's antimesenteric border through a rigid small defect of the abdominal wall. The first case was reported in 1606 by Fabricius Hildanus. The first definition of partial enterocele was given by August Gottlieb Richter in 1785. Sir Frederick Treves discriminated it from Littre hernia (hernia of the Meckel diverticulum). More often these hernias are diagnosed in the sixth and seventh decades of life. They comprise 10 per cent of strangulated hernias. Their common sites are the femoral ring, inguinal ring, and at incisional trauma. The most-often entrapped part of the bowel is the distal ileum, but any part of the intestinal tube may be incarcerated. These hernias progress more rapidly to gangrene than other strangulated hernias, and obstruction is less frequent. The gold standard technique for repair is the preperitoneal approach, followed by laparotomy and resection if perforation is suspected.     

De Garengeot hernia: Case report and review

IntroductionRene De Garengeot, a French surgeon, was the first to describe the presence of the appendix inside a femoral hernia sac in 1731. It is a rare entity that has fewer than 100 cases reported in literature.Presentation of caseAn 86 years-old male patient, comes to Emergency Department complaining of painful bulging in the right inguinal region, associated with local inflammatory signs. He was initially diagnosed as incarcerated femoral hernia and underwent emergency open surgery. Inguinotomy was performed and after hernia sac dissection it was possible to observe the presence of the appendix incarcerated in its interior, without clinical signs of appendicitis. Surgeons performed appendectomy and inguinal repair of the femoral hernia with placement of a polypropylene mesh.DiscussionDe Garengeot hernia is a rare entity that requires early treatment in order to avoid possible complications. When facing a patient with incarcerated hernia emergency surgery must be indicated even if it is not possible to determine the contents of the hernia.ConclusionThis paper presents a case report of a De Garengeot hernia patient who presented a good evolution after surgery.     

Uncommon content in groin hernia sac

Groin hernia may have very unusual sac content. Vermiform appendix, acute appendicitis, ovary, fallopian tube and urinary bladder have been rarely reported. We aimed to present our experience with these unusual hernia contents. Records of 1,950 groin hernia patients were retrospectively analyzed. Vermiform appendix was found in 0.51% and acute appendicitis was found in 0.10% of groin hernia sacs. The incidence of appendix in femoral hernia was 5%, while inguinal hernia sac contained ovary and fallopian tube in 2.9% of the cases. The incidence of groin hernias containing urinary bladder was 0.36%. We also had 1 patient with incarcerated bladder diverticula in an indirect hernia sac. Iatrogenic bladder injury occurred in 2 patients. Although rare, a groin hernia sac may contain vermiform appendix and exceptionally acute appendicitis. Tubal and ovarian herniation in inguinal hernias can be found in adult and perimenopausal women with an incidence as high as in children. Urinary bladder hernia occurs with a similar incidence of tuba-ovarian hernia, however, it requires special attention because of a high risk of iatrogenic bladder injury during the inguinal dissection. Every effort should be made to preserve the organ found in hernia sac for an uneventful postoperative period.     

A rare cause of intestinal obstruction: incarcerated femoral hernia, strangulated obturator hernia

Obturator hernia may occur bilaterally in association with another hernia, which is usually of the femoral type. We present a 77-year-old-woman who had abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting together with swelling of the right groin for 3 days. Incarcerated right femoral hernia and consequent mechanical small-bowel obstruction was diagnosed, and urgent operation was undertaken. As the incarcerated femoral hernia reduced spontaneously during the induction of anesthesia, a lower median incision was performed. During exploration, the real cause of mechanical intestinal obstruction was found to be a small intestinal loop strangulated in the left obturator hernia. Right femoral and left obturator hernia were repaired with preperitoneal polypropylene mesh. If there is enough time and general condition of the older patient is suitable, further diagnostic techniques for concomitant obturator hernias may be useful in patients who present with signs of incarcerated inguinal hernia and intestinal obstruction.     

A case of bilateral obturator hernias: Image diagnosis and description of a retropublic operative approach

A case of bilateral obturator hernias which was diagnosed by ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT), and repaired by a retropublic extraperitoneal operative approach under spinal anesthesia is reported herein. A 91-year-old woman presented with lower abdominal and left groin pain consistent with a Howship-Romberg sign. US demonstrated an image of the bowel projecting from the small pelvic space to the left thigh with a to-and-fro movement of the bowel contents. The definitive diagnosis of an incarcerated left obturator hernia was made by CT which also revealed a mass in the right obturator foramen. Surgery was performed through a retropublic extraperitoneal approach under spinal anesthesia. No necrosis was observed in the incarcerated bowel and resection was not necessary. A simple hernial sac was found in the right obturator canal. The operation using the retropublic extraperitoneal approach was successful and we believe it to be the most effective procedure for obturator hernias which have been diagnosed early.     

A case of incarcerated femoral hernia in an infant

The authors describe the case of an incarcerated femoral hernia in an infant. A 4-month-old female infant was hospitalized with an incarcerated right groin hernia. Attempts to reduce the mass were unsuccessful, so an emergency surgery was performed. During surgery, the hernial sac seemed to protrude under the inguinal ligament. The authors opened the hernial sac and observed a dark red small intestine. The authors did not resect the intestine because its color gradually improved after the constriction was released. The hernial sac passed under the inguinal ligament, and the infant was diagnosed with incarcerated femoral hernia.     

An unusual presentation of an incarcerated Spigelian hernia

Spigelian hernias are rare hernias, occurring through a defect in the Spigelian aponeurosis. Like other hernias, they may contain abdominal contents but are more likely to be incarcerated due to the small size of the fascial defect. Multiple intra-abdominal organs have reportedly been found in Spigelian hernias. A search of the literature showed only nine reported cases in which an appendix has been found within a Spigelian hernia. We present a patient with a history of lower abdominal pain since 10 weeks with a large intra-abdominal mass in the right iliac fossa. Due to abscess formation with spontaneous evacuation through the abdominal wall, drainage and incision were performed and the patient was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. An explorative laparoscopy after six weeks showed an incarcerated appendix in a Spigelian hernia.     

Open femoral hernia repair: one skin incision for all

Background  

Femoral hernias are relatively uncommon, however they are the most common incarcerated abdominal hernia, with strangulation of a viscus carrying significant mortality. Classically three approaches are described to open femoral hernia repair: Lockwood's infra-inguinal, Lotheissen's trans-inguinal and McEvedy's high approach. Each approach describes a separate skin incision and dissection to access the femoral sac. The decision as to which approach to adopt, predominantly dependent on the suspicion of finding strangulated bowel, is often a difficult one and in our opinion an unnecessary one.     

A novel approach to extraction of incarcerated omentum and mesh insertion in laparoscopic ventral hernia repair

During laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR), it is not always possible to reduce incarcerated omentum through a tight defect and it may tear or require transection within the abdomen. This leaves an ischemic mass of tissue within the hernia sac which can cause pain, infection, or the appearance of hernia recurrence postoperatively. We describe a technique which allows extraction of any retained omentum within the hernia sac, mesh insertion, and laparoscopic completion of the procedure using only 5 mm trocars. After obtaining access to the abdomen with a 5 mm optical trocar in select patients, lysis of adhesions is performed as needed. When incarcerated omentum that cannot be safely reduced is discovered, it is transected at the level of the abdominal wall using electrocoagulation or ultrasonic dissection. At this point, we make a 2–3 cm skin incision overlying the retained omentum, open the hernia sac, and remove the amputated omentum. The rolled up piece of mesh utilized for the repair is then inserted through this opening. The hernia sac is closed with absorbable suture, allowing reinsufflation of the abdomen and completion of the laparoscopic repair. This method enables us to safely remove any retained omentum from the hernia sac and utilize the same incision for mesh insertion. We utilize only 5 mm trocars without the need for a larger port through which to place the mesh into the abdomen. This reduces the risk of postoperative trocar site hernias as the opening for mesh insertion is covered by the mesh after it is fixed in place. This technique may also decrease the need for conversion to open hernia repair by allowing an alternative approach to reduce incarcerated omentum.     

An inguinal hernia with cryptorchidism with a Leydig cell tumor in an elderly man: A case report

IntroductionCryptorchidism is common in children but is rare in the elderly. It often presents with a constellation of signs and symptoms similar to routine inguinal hernias. We present the case of an elderly man with cryptorchidism containing a Leydig cell tumor and provide clinical insights.Presentation of caseAn-84-year old man was admitted with an incarcerated right lower quadrant hernia. Both testes were absent on palpation of the scrotum. After reduction of the hernia, computed tomography scan revealed a round lesion in the hernia sac, which was suspected to be the ectopic testis. Laparoscopic exploration was performed in combination with an open anterior approach. The hernia orifice was the right internal inguinal ring, and the inguinal canal was obliterated by adhesions because the spermatic cord did not pass through it. The ectopic testis was resected with the hernia sac, and the hernia repaired with a KUGEL™ patch (Bard, USA).DiscussionLaparoscopic exploration was useful to delineate the anatomy of this unusual inguinal hernia. The open anterior approach was necessary to dissect the ectopic testis and the hernia sac. Pathological findings revealed tumor cells with clear cytoplasm in the resected testis, diagnosed as a Leydig cell tumor.ConclusionThe combination of laparoscopic and anterior approaches facilitated the surgical treatment of an unusual inguinal hernia with cryptorchidism. The resected ectopic testis should undergo thorough histopathologic examination.     

Peritoneal mesothelioma masquerading as an inguinal hernia

We report a case of an 80-year-old man who presented with a right inguinal hernia that appeared incarcerated. On exploration a sausage shaped mass was found in the sac, which was debulked and histologically shown to be a well differentiated malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Rare tumours may present as inguinal hernias and palliative debulking may be effective when they present in inguinal hernia sacs.     

Peritoneal mesothelioma masquerading as an inguinal hernia

We report a case of an 80-year-old man who presented with a right inguinal hernia that appeared incarcerated. On exploration a sausage shaped mass was found in the sac, which was debulked and histologically shown to be a well differentiated malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Rare tumours may present as inguinal hernias and palliative debulking may be effective when they present in inguinal hernia sacs.     

Hernioscopy: a useful technique for the evaluation of incarcerated hernias that retract under anaesthesia

Introduction The diagnosis of strangulation within an incarcerated abdominal-wall hernia is not always possible preoperatively. In approximately 1% of cases of incarcerated hernias, a strangulated viscus will reduce spontaneously following administration of muscle relaxants during induction of anaesthesia, and the surgeon has to perform an exploratory laparotomy. The aim of this study was to report the use of hernioscopy to inspect intra-abdominal contents and thus prevent unnecessary laparotomy. Patients and methods The case notes of all patients undergoing hernioscopy for incarcerated hernias that reduced spontaneously during induction of anaesthesia, skin incision, or prior to evaluation of sac contents were reviewed. Hernioscopy is performed following insertion of a 10-mm port through the hernia sac. Standard insufflation with carbon dioxide is performed, maintaining an intra-abdominal pressure of 10–12 mmHg following which the laparoscope is inserted and a diagnostic examination performed. Following completion of hernioscopy, the laparoscope is withdrawn, the pneumoperitoneum released, and the hernia repaired in a conventional manner using a tension-free technique. Results Five patients underwent hernioscopy for the evaluation of incarcerated hernias that had reduced spontaneously prior to inspection of sac contents. There were four men with indirect inguinal hernias and one woman with an incarcerated femoral hernia. The hernioscopy of the four men was unremarkable and they went home the following day. The female patient had blood within the peritoneal cavity arising from the upper abdomen and underwent laparotomy and splenectomy. She made an unremarkable recovery and was discharged on postoperative day 7. Conclusion Hernioscopy is a simple and useful technique that can be performed by surgeons familiar with laparoscopic procedures such as appendicectomy and cholecystectomy.     

First laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal repair of Laugier’s hernia: a case report

An atypical femoral hernia developing through the lacunar ligament is called Laugier’s hernia. Preoperative diagnosis of these atypical hernias is very difficult because of their rarity and similar clinical appearance to conventional femoral hernias. A 52-year-old female presented with right groin swelling. During laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair, a hernia sac through an opening in the lacunar ligament was diagnosed and repaired with mesh covering the inguinal floor. The surgeon should be alert to the possibility of an atypical femoral hernia when examining patients with inguinal hernias. A laparoscopic approach should be chosen instead of a conventional approach for the treatment of femoral hernias because of its high diagnostic and therapeutic capacity for all types of femoral hernia, including Laugier’s.     

Hernia uteri inguinale in an 18 months old female infant: A case report

IntroductionInguinal hernia is the most frequent hernia of childhood. About 15–20% of females with inguinal hernias, the ovaries and/or the fallopian tubes may be contents of the herniation sac. Meanwhile uterus is very rare to be encountered.Our aim is to alert Pediatric surgeons to such condition and remind them of the important technical steps to treat and manage this condition.Case reportElective surgery on an 18 months old female child with right inguinal hernia was performed electively through an open inguinal approach; the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovary were found in the hernia sac.DiscussionThe etiology of the hernia uterine inguinale in general is controversial, however there may be some degree of weakness of the uterine and ovarian suspensory ligament. Thompson noted that if there is failure of fusion of the Mullerian ducts, it leads to increase in the mobility of ovary and uterus, increasing the possibility of herniation of ovary, tubes and uterus. It was reported to be associated with disorders of sexual development.Surgical procedure for inguinal hernias containing uterus is often different from the ones containing only the ovary, as these organs are strongly attached to the hernia sac and it has to be freed from the wall of the hernia sac.ConclusionWe want to stress that in hernia uterii ovarii, dissection of the sac is essential for successful hernia repair unlike routine hernioraphy and to consider associated disorder of sexual differentiation.