No abstract

In this report, we discuss the case of an 11-year old girl presenting with acute abdominal pain caused by gangrene of a large part of the small bowel. During urgent surgical exploration, the cause of gangrene appeared to be herniation of the small bowel through a congenital defect in the mesentery with subsequent strangulation. A resection was performed leaving the patient with only 130 cm of small bowel remaining. Transmesenteric hernia is a rare type of internal herniation consisting of a small congenital defect in the small bowel mesentery through which the intestine can herniate and subsequently become strangulated. We present a case of transmesenteric hernia with disastrous effects and review the literature regarding this rare type of hernia.

An incarcerated inguinal hernia is a textbook example of a basic and straightforward diagnosis. In rare cases, an incarcerated hernia may be a symptom of more complex underlying pathology. In this case report a patient with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm presented with an incarcerated left inguinal hernia. Only two other cases have been reported with a stable patient at initial presentation. The diagnosis was suspected when blood seeping next to the internal inguinal ring was detected, and an urgent ultrasound in the operating room confirmed the diagnosis. Whether or not patients with an inguinal hernia are more at risk for an AAA remains unclear.