Obturator hernia: Supremacy of CT over clinical findings

Abstract

Obturator hernia which is a rare form of external abdominal hernias accounts for 0.07-1 % of all hernias and 0.2-1.6 % of all cases of mechanical obstruction of the small bowel. It has the highest mortality rate of all abdominal wall hernias ranging between 13 % and 40 percent. It is more common in females due to their wider pelvis, more triangular obturator canal opening and greater transverse diameter. It occurs most frequently in cachectic patients aged between 70 and 90 years. Delayed diagnosis and surgical intervention are the most important causes of its high morbidity and mortality. The aim of this report was to emphasize importance of CT by presenting the case with mechanical intestinal obstruction and vague clinical findings, who was diagnosed with obturator hernia using computed tomography. © 2014, Logos Medical Publishing. All rights reserved.