2021 Volume 41 Issue 4 Pages 281-284
We report a rare case of internal herniation through a defect in the falciform ligament. A 47-year-old woman with no previous history of abdominal surgery was admitted with epigastric pain. Abdominal CT revealed dilatation of the small intestine between the abdominal wall and the liver, and an obliterated umbilical vein was found on the caudal side. The patient was diagnosed as having strangulated intestinal obstruction due to falciform ligament hernia, and emergency surgery was performed. Laparoscopic examination showed incarceration of the small intestine through a defect in the falciform ligament. After releasing the incarceration, the hernia orifice was closed to prevent relapse. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged 3 days after the surgery. Falciform ligament hernia is very rare and may be difficult to diagnose preoperatively, but visualization of an umbilical vein cord on the caudal side of the strangulated intestine on CT is considered to be useful for the diagnosis.
