Turkish Journal of Geriatrics
2014 , Vol 17, Issue 1
OBTURATOR HERNIA: A DIAGNOSTIC DILEMMA, REPORT OF A CASE
Marmara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Genel Cerrahi Anabilim Dalı, İSTANBUL
Obturator hernia is a rare pelvic hernia that occurs in elderly, thin, multiparous women.
Patients present with few nonspecific clinical symptoms to identify the cause, and the diagnosis
is often delayed or missed. Physicians should maintain a high level of clinical suspicion for
obturator hernia in elderly women as it is a diagnostic challenge in which the hernia mass is usually
concealed beneath the pectineus muscle. Early diagnosis and prompt initiation of treatment
reduces the risk of surgical complications and increases the chance of survival. Different imaging
modalities including Ultrasound, herniography and CT have been proposed to assist with accurate
diagnosis. Herein, we present a case of a 78 year-old woman with thigh pain secondary to
an obturator hernia and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis.
Keywords :
Hernia; Obturator; Pain; Magnetic Resonance Imaging