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INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Obturator hernia accounts for less than 1 % of all documented cases of pelvic hernias. It most commonly presents as an obstructive syndrome in elderly, multiparous, slim women, characterized by a wider pelvis that facilitates the passage of the hernia sac through the obturator foramen alongside the obturator nerve. In this case, adhering to the SCARE (Updating Consensus Surgical CAse REport) checklist criteria, we present a typical scenario involving an elderly woman who was initially misdiagnosed with a fecaloma, concealing an obturator hernia. CASE REPORT: An 85-year-old patient, displaying prodromal signs of senile disease, presented for medical attention with incapacitating abdominal pain in the right iliac fossa, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Rectal examination revealed the presence of a fecaloma, and glycerin administration was performed rectally. The patient's condition worsened with the development of mental confusion and hyperactive delirium. Abdominal Computer tomography scan (CT scan) revealed right obturator hernia with enteral segment insinuation and dilation of the proximal bowel. An infraumbilical laparotomy was performed. The herniation of an ileal segment and the right ovary through the obturator foramen was identified. The content proved irreducible to manual maneuvers, leading to obturator muscle section following the dissection of the Retzius space. The right round ligament of the uterus was sectioned, and we manage to preserve the Obturatory branch of the lumbar plexus throughout dissection. A polypropylene mesh was positioned and secured with non-absorbable sutures on the Cooper's ligament, iliac crest, and obturator muscle and segmental enterectomy with primary anastomosis using a linear stapler was performed. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: This demanding case brings to the spotlight the importance of reevaluating even the usual cases. We provide our experience bringing together an unusual diagnosis after the conduction of a once diagnosed fecaloma that almost went down to a perforated acute abdomen. Hence the importance of suspect obturator hernia in unknown obstructive abdomen in elderly women. CONCLUSION: With this report we aim to raise awareness of careful propaedeutic inquiry of acute abdomen. We provide our experience bringing together the diagnosis that agrees with our literature review. Elderly patients commonly challenge the clinical evaluation, especially those with signs of senile disease. Thereby, inkling hidden diagnosis in typical scenarios can improve the patient's care in emergency settings.

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RESUMEN La hernia obturatriz tiene una incidencia de menos del 1% de todas las hernias de la pared abdominal, se presentan predominantemente en mujeres de edad avanzada y se caracteriza por la protrusión de las vísceras intraabdominales hacia el agujero obturador. El diagnóstico preoperatorio suele ser difícil debido a la falta de manifestaciones externas obvias, síntomas y signos inespecíficos y falta de sospecha clínica. El retraso en el diagnóstico y en el tratamiento de esta afección generalmente conduce a una alta tasa de mortalidad. Reportamos el caso de una paciente con hernia obturatriz complicada y hernia inguinal bilateral, la cual fue resuelto por cirugía mínimamente invasiva, no hubo complicaciones en la evolución postoperatoria, siendo su estancia hospitalaria siete días.

SUMMARY Obturator hernia has an incidence of less than 1% of all abdominal wall hernias, it is predominantly observed in elder women and it is characterized by protrusion of intra-abdominal viscera into the shutter hole. The preoperative diagnosis is difficult due to the lack of external manifestations, nonspecific symptoms and lack of clinical suspicion. Delaying diagnosis and treatment is associated with high mortality. We report the case of a female patient with a complicated obturator hernia with concomitant bilateral inguinal hernias that underwent minimally invasive surgery with no complications and a seven day stay in hospital.

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PURPOSE: Obturator Hernia (OH) is a rare type of abdominal wall hernia. It usually occurs in elderly women with late symptomatic presentation, increasing mortality rates. Surgery is the standard of care for OH, and laparotomy with simple suture closure of the defect is commonly used. Given the rarity of this disease, large studies are lacking, and data to drive management are still limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to describe current surgical options for OHs, with a focus on comparing the effectiveness and safety of mesh use with primary repair. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane were searched for studies comparing mesh and non-mesh repair for OH. Postoperative outcomes were assessed by pooled analysis and meta-analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4. RESULTS: One thousand seven hundred and sixty studies were screened and sixty-seven were thoroughly reviewed. We included 13 observational studies with 351 patients surgically treated for OH with mesh or non-mesh repair. One hundred and twenty (34.2%) patients underwent mesh repair and two hundred and thirty-one (65.81%) underwent non-mesh repair. A total of 145 (41.3%) underwent bowel resection, with the majority having a non-mesh repair performed. Hernia recurrence was significantly higher in patients who underwent hernia repair without mesh (RR 0.31; 95% CI 0.11-0.94; p = 0.04). There were no differences in mortality (RR 0.64; 95% CI 0.25-1.62; p = 0.34; I2 = 0%) or complication rates (RR 0.59; 95% CI 0.28-1.25; p = 0.17; I2 = 50%) between both groups. CONCLUSION: Mesh repair in OH was associated with lower recurrence rates without an increase in postoperative complications. While mesh in clean cases is more likely to offer benefits, an overall recommendation regarding its use in OH repair cannot be made due to potential bias across studies. Given that many OH patients are frail and present emergently, the decision to use mesh is complex and should consider the patient's clinical status, comorbidities, and degree of intraoperative contamination.

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Introducción. Debido a la rareza de la hernia obturatriz y la imposibilidad para desarrollar estudios controlados de alto grado de evidencia, la mayoría de la literatura al respecto proviene de reportes de casos. Lo anterior, aunado al poco conocimiento del área anatómica de presentación y el cuadro clínico, la convierte en la hernia con mayor mortalidad. Métodos. Se realizó una búsqueda de la literatura en las principales bases de datos, ilustrado con pacientes manejados en el Servicio de Cirugía general de la Clínica Santa María de Sincelejo, Colombia. Discusión. La hernia obturatriz se puede descubrir en mujeres ancianas con antecedentes de cirugía abdominal o multiparidad. El signo de Howship­Romberg, que se presenta en la mitad de los pacientes, puede acompañarse de dolor abdominal en hipogastrio, vómitos y distensión progresiva. La radiografía de abdomen simple muestra tardíamente niveles hidroaéreos con ausencia de gas en ampolla rectal, pero como es poco específica para demostrar el sitio de obstrucción, es preferible la Tomografía computarizada. Conclusión. La hernia obturatriz requiere alto índice de sospecha, que ayude a la detección temprana e intervención quirúrgica inmediata, para evitar las complicaciones.

Introduction. Due to the rarity of the obturator hernia and the impossibility to develop controlled studies with a high degree of evidence, most of the reference in the literature comes from case reports. This, coupled with little knowledge of the anatomical area of presentation and clinical picture, makes it the hernia with the highest mortality. Methods. A literature search was carried out in the main databases, illustrated with patients managed in the General Surgery Service of the Clínica Santa María de Sincelejo. Discussion. Obturator hernia can be discovered in elderly women with a history of abdominal surgery or multiparity. The Howship ­ Romberg sign occurs in half of the patients, it can be associated with lower abdominal pain, vomiting, and progressive distension. Plain abdominal X-ray shows delayed air-fluid levels with absence of gas in the rectal ampulla, but since it is not very specific to demonstrate the site of obstruction, computed axial tomography is preferable. Conclusion. Obturator hernia requires a high index of suspicion, which helps early detection and immediate surgical intervention, to avoid complications.

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La hernia obturatriz (HO) es poco frecuente y representa del 0.05 al 0.4 por ciento del total de hernias. Debido a su rareza y a su presentación inespecífica, el diagnóstico es por lo general tardío y las tasas de mortalidad elevadas (12-70 por ciento). Se presenta un caso típico de HO diagnosticada en el preoperatorio mediante TC Multi-corte con RMP y tratado mediante laparotomía de urgencia con buen resultado. El empleo de TC Multicorte con RMP de abdomen y pelvis, en cuadros de obstrucción intestinal en mujeres añosas, sin antecedente de cirugías previas ni hernias objetivables, tiene gran valor para el diagnóstico preoperatorio precoz de HO y podría contribuir a reducir las elevadas tasas de morbilidad y mortalidad.

Abstract. The obturator hernia (OH) is rare and accounts for 0.05 to 0.4% of all hernias. Because of its rarity and its nonspecific presentation, diagnosis is usually late and has high mortality rates (12-70%). A typical case of OH diagnosed preoperatively by Multislice CT with MPR and treated using emergency laparotomy with good results, is presented. The use of Multislice CT with MPR of the abdomen and pelvis, in symptoms of intestinal obstruction in elderly women with no history of previous surgery or objectified hernias, has great value for early preoperative diagnosis of OH and could help reduce the high rates of morbidity and mortality.

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We report a 76 years old female presenting in the emergency room with a history of abdominal pain lasting seven days. A plain abdominal X ray showed few fluid filled loops. Due to persistence of pain and appearance of vomiting, an abdominal CAT sean showed a short bowel obstruction caused by an obturator hernia. The patient was operated, correcting the defect with a mesh. The postoperative evolution was uneventful.

La hernia obturatriz es una rara causa de obstrucción intestinal, se presenta en pacientes mujeres adultos mayores, desnutridos y postrados; se asocia a una elevada mortalidad por los antecedentes mórbidos de los pacientes y al bajo índice de sospecha. Se recomienda el uso de la tomografía axial computada como técnica de elección para el diagnóstico en pacientes con sospecha clínica. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar un caso clínico de una paciente con hernia obturatriz que consultó en nuestro servicio de urgencia y se solicitó tomografía de abdomen y pelvis para completar estudio que requirió laparotomía exploradora ante el cuadro clínico y los hallazgos imagenológicos.

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Background: Obturator hernia is a rare type of hernia. Because symptoms and signs are non-specific, diagnosis and treatment are often delayed, increasing the rate of strangulation and mortality. Material and Methods: A retrospective study was performed in 17 cases of obturator hernia at Ramón y Cajal Hospital between January 1986 and December of 2007. Results: All patients were women with a mean age of 77 years (range 19-88 years). Mean time from onset of symptoms to surgery was 3 days (range 0-10 days). Howship-Romberg sign was positive in five cases (29,4 percent). Emergency surgery was performed in 16 cases (94 percent) and elective surgery in one (6 percent). CT has increased the rate of preoperative diagnosis from 16,6 percent to 41,2 percent, however, the rate of strangulation of bowel was 47 percent, requiring intestinal resection ten patients (59 percent). Hernia repair was performed using polypropylene mesh in 8 cases (47 percent) and by means of simple suture and apposition of the peritoneum in the rest 9 cases. Mean hospital postoperative stay was 11,65 days (range 4-26 days) and mortality was 23,5 percent. Conclusion: Although CT sean has facilitated us the correct diagnosis of obturator hernia, decreasing the mean time from onset of symptoms to surgery to 3 days, we could not reduce the rate of intestinal resection and mortality.

La hernia obturatriz es una entidad rara, con frecuente ausencia de signos y síntomas específicos, lo que retrasa su diagnóstico y tratamiento, y por ello puede presentar una elevada tasa de estrangulación y mortalidad. Material y Métodos: Efectuamos un estudio retrospectivo sobre 17 casos de hernia obturatriz en el Hospital Ramón y Cajal entre enero de 1986 y diciembre de 2007. Resultados: Todos los pacientes eran mujeres con una edad media de 77 años (rango 19-88 años). El tiempo medio desde el inicio de los síntomas hasta la cirugía fue de 3 días (rango 1-10 días). El signo de Howship- Romberg fue positivo en 5 casos (29,4 por ciento). Se efectuaron 16 intervenciones con carácter de urgente (94 por ciento) y una de forma electiva (6 por ciento). La realización de un TAC va a incrementar la tasa de diagnóstico preoperatorio de un 16,6 por ciento a un 41,2 por ciento. La tasa de estrangulación fue de 47 por ciento, requiriendo resección intestinal 10 pacientes (59 por ciento). En 8 ocasiones se reparó el defecto hemiario con una malla de polipropileno (47 por ciento), siendo con cierre simple y aposición del peritoneo en los 9 restantes. La estancia media postoperatoria fue de 11,65 días (rango 4-26 días) y la tasa de mortalidad de 23,5 por ciento. Conclusión: Aunque la realización del TAC ha incrementado la tasa de diagnóstico preoperatorio, disminuyendo el tiempo desde la aparición de los síntomas hasta la cirugía a 3 días, no hemos podido reducir la tasa de resección intestinal y mortalidad.

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