Abstract
Background
Mesenteric defect, congenital or acquired, is a rare cause of internal hernia. Most documented cases of internal hernias caused by congenital mesenteric defects are described in the paediatric population; its incidence is very rare in adults.
Case report
We present the case of a previously asymptomatic 65-year-old man with a defect involving the mesentery of the terminal ileum. Almost the entire ileum had herniated through it twice in a complex manner and had become strangulated. The residual mesenteric defect was closed after relieving the obstruction, resecting the gangrenous part of ileum, and performing an end-to-side ileotransverse anastomosis.
Results
The recovery was uneventful and the patient was discharged on the eleventh postoperative day.
Conclusion
Reports of strangulated congenital mesenteric hernia at this age are scarce. Severe unexplained abdominal pain in adults with a virgin abdomen can be due to mesenteric hernia. A high index of suspicion and early surgical intervention can prevent a potential catastrophe.
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Roy, A., Acharya, A.N. & Nath, N. Congenital mesenteric defect — A rare cause of internal herniation in adults. Hellenic J Surg 86, 391–393 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13126-014-0166-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13126-014-0166-1