A case of transmesosigmoid hernia

Abstract

Internal abdominal hernias, which are protrusions of a viscus through a mesenteric or peritoneal defect, are uncommon. Symptoms from internal hernias are uncharacteristic, and most are diagnosed at laparotomy for ileus. This is a report of a 64-year-old female patient with the small bowel protruding through a defect in the sigmoid mesocolon. Laparotomy showed an oval defect of 3cm in diameter in the sigmoid mesocolon that strangulated the small intestine. This could not be preoperatively diagnosed as ileus due to internal hernia, but a retrospective review of abdominal multidetector-row CT (MDCT) showed characteristic findings. An internal hernia involving the sigmoid mesocolon is not common. Of these, only 9 had transmesosigmoid hernia.