A Lower Abdominal Linea Alba Hernia Requiring Emergency Repair in a Very Elderly Patient—A Case Report—

Abstract

A 91-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of syncope after a bowel movement. A mass was palpated in her lower midline abdomen, and computed tomography revealed a protrusion of the small intestine. She underwent emergency surgery with a preoperative diagnosis of incarcerated abdominal wall hernia confirmed as a linea alba hernia in the lower abdomen. Surgery revealed an incarcerated greater omentum and ileum, a section of which was strangulated. The hernia sac and the strangulated intestine were resected, and a sutured repair of the defect was performed. She had no recurrence over the subsequent 3 months.

Most linea alba hernias occur in the upper abdomen, whereas those in the lower abdomen are extremely rare. In the literature, most cases of lower abdominal linea alba hernia were incarcerated. Furthermore, a report revealed increased mortality after bowel resection for strangulated hernia, especially in elderly individuals. Our findings suggest that linea alba hernia repair should be considered, even for elderly patients.