Loin to groin pain -A case report of an intermittent obturator hernia mimicking ureteric colic

Case report of ureter obturator hernia and literature review analysis

BACKGROUND

Ureteral obturator hernia is a rare condition, usually found accidentally during imaging examinations, or found during surgery. Ureteral hernia can easily lead to ureteral obstruction and hydronephrosis. Long-term hydronephrosis may lead to kidney damage and infection, and eventually cause kidney failure. As of December 31, 2020, there are only 2 literature reports.

CASE PRESENTATION

This article reports a 67-year-old female patient with no symptoms. The computed tomography (CT) scan of the urinary system to show the left kidney and ureter had hydrops. The CTU imaging of the urinary tract revealed the left ureter pelvis herniated into the parietal pelvic fascia was accompanied by tortuosity and left hydronephrosis. She underwent laparoscopic abdominal wall hernia repair on April 29, 2020, and she recovered well.

CONCLUSIONS

Ureteral obturator hernia is an uncommon condition. The clinical symptoms are non-specific, including unclear abdominal pain, until the appearance of obstructive diseases of the urinary tract, such as renal insufficiency, urinary tract infection, kidney stones, and uremia. A comprehensive review of the literature shows that it is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis based on physical examination alone.Early urography can improve the possibility of accurate diagnosis. When a patient suffers from impaired renal function, timely surgical treatment can avoid deterioration of renal function.

Obturator hernias: a systematic review of the literature

PURPOSE

Obturator hernias (OH) are extremely rare hernias, accounting for 0.07-1% of all hernias. This is the first systematic review investigating their presentation, imaging, treatment outcomes, and recurrence rate.

METHODS

After a detailed search in electronic search engines, 74 studies matched our criteria. A review of these reports was conducted and the full texts were examined.

RESULTS

A total of 146 patients with a mean age of 78.8 years were included in our analysis, with 40.1%, 29.9%, and 25.2% of patients suffering from either a right, a left or bilateral OH, respectively. OH were associated with non-specific symptoms and signs; bowel obstruction being the most common. Howship-Romberg sign was present in 56.2% of patients. Computed tomography (CT) scan was the most frequently used diagnostic modality, inversely associated with perioperative mortality. Mesh repair demonstrated a significantly improved perioperative morbidity rate, compared with non-mesh repair. Approximately 30% of patients underwent a laparoscopic operation, which was associated with significantly decreased morbidity and mortality rate as well as length of hospital stay, compared with the open repair.

CONCLUSION

OHs are not associated with specific symptoms and signs; thus, they constitute a diagnostic challenge, requiring a high level of clinical suspicion. Undoubtedly, CT scan of the abdomen is the gold standard diagnostic tool. Their operative repair is mandatory, with the laparoscopic approach demonstrating significant advantages over the open repair.