Congenital Dual Internal Hernias Causing Small Bowel Obstruction in a Man with no Prior Surgical History: A Report of a Very Rare Case.

BACKGROUND Internal hernias involve protrusion of the small bowel through a peritoneal or mesenteric space in the abdominal or pelvic cavity. Congenital internal small bowel hernias are rare and patients with them usually present with small bowel obstruction (SBO) at a young age, whereas in older patients, internal small bowel hernias usually are acquired secondary to previous surgery. The present report is of a rare case of SBO due to dual congenital internal small bowel hernias in a 51-year-old man with no history of abdominal surgery. CASE REPORT We report a case of dual congenital internal hernias of the small bowel in a patient who presented with symptoms and signs of SBO. He had no history of abdominal trauma, surgery, or comorbid conditions. His abdomen was mildly distended with minimal tenderness in the upper left quadrant but there was no guarding or rebound tenderness. Abdominal X-rays confirmed the SBO. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the patient's abdomen revealed SBO with transition at 2 points, suggestive of a closed-loop obstruction. However, the exact cause of the SBO was confirmed at laparotomy, which revealed dual internal hernias (intramesosigmoid and paraduodenal). The hernias were managed individually and the patient had a successful outcome after surgery. CONCLUSIONS Although the present report is of a rare presentation of internal small bowel hernia, the case underscores that patients with this condition may present with SBO. Successful surgical management requires knowledge of the intra-abdominal peritoneal spaces and management of the hernia sac.