Obturator hernia
| Obturator hernia | |
|---|---|
| Abdominal CT scan showing obturator hernia | |
| Specialty | General surgery Hernia |
| Symptoms | bowel obstruction |
| Usual onset | rapid |
| Risk factors | multiparous, underweight, old age, female |
| Diagnostic method | Howship-Romberg sign, abdominal CT scan, Hannington-Kiff sign |
| Differential diagnosis | colon cancer, small bowel obstruction, small bowel hernia |
| Treatment | surgery, laparoscopic hernia repair |
| Frequency | Rare (0.07-1% of all hernias) |
An obturator hernia is a rare type of hernia, encompassing 0.07-1% of all hernias, of the pelvic floor in which pelvic or abdominal contents protrudes through the obturator foramen. The obturator foramen is formed by a branch of the ischial (lower and back hip bone) as well as the pubic bone. The canal is typically 2-3 centimeters long and 1 centimeters wide, creating a space for pouches of pre-peritoneal fat.