Abstract
The patient was an 80-year-old woman who presented to our hospital with a one-week history of constipation and nausea. Intestinal obstruction due to a left incarcerated obturator hernia was diagnosed by pelvic computed tomography (CT), and partial resection of the small intestine was performed. Because the hernia sac could not be inverted due to severe inflammation, the hernia orifice was sutured to the uterus to complete the surgery. On postoperative day 4, the patient developed persistent fever. On postoperative day 9, pain and subcutaneous emphysema occurred in the left thigh, and CT revealed abscess formation extending from the left obturator and pectineus muscles to the thigh. On postoperative day 12, CT-guided drainage was performed, which was followed by a reduction in the size of the abscess. The patient was discharged approximately 2 months later, without sequelae. This case serves to emphasize that an obturator hernia associated with intestinal necrosis/perforation may rarely be complicated by postoperative femoral abscess formation. Thus, along with observation of the femoral area and careful postoperative management, safety and immediate drainage under CT or ultrasonographic guidance is necessary in case of abscess formation.
