Successful Retrocecal Hernia Diagnosis and Treatment: A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction A retrocecal hernia is a rare type of internal hernia that occasionally causes small bowel obstruction and strangulation ileus. We report a case of retrocecal hernia that was preoperatively diagnosed using multidetector raw computed tomography and successfully treated by emergency surgery. Case Presentation A 97-year-old woman presented at another hospital with abdominal distension and nausea. She was diagnosed with ileus and was conservatively treated with long intestinal tube placement. However, the symptoms had not improved after 7 days in the hospital. The patient was then referred to our hospital, where a pericecal hernia was diagnosed using multidetector raw computed tomography. We performed emergency surgery and intraoperatively confirmed the presence of a retrocecal hernia. A 30-cm nonviable section of small intestine was resected, and the hernia orifice was closed routinely. Postoperative recovery was uneventful. Conclusions Patients with pericecal hernia usually require surgical treatment. Multidetector raw computed tomography is useful for precise diagnosis of this type of hernia. Precise diagnosis is necessary to select prompt operative intervention for internal hernia.