Richter hernia: surgical anatomy and technique of repair.

Richter hernia (partial enterocele) is the protrusion and/or strangulation of only part of the circumference of the intestine's antimesenteric border through a rigid small defect of the abdominal wall. The first case was reported in 1606 by Fabricius Hildanus. The first definition of partial enterocele was given by August Gottlieb Richter in 1785. Sir Frederick Treves discriminated it from Littre hernia (hernia of the Meckel diverticulum). More often these hernias are diagnosed in the sixth and seventh decades of life. They comprise 10 per cent of strangulated hernias. Their common sites are the femoral ring, inguinal ring, and at incisional trauma. The most-often entrapped part of the bowel is the distal ileum, but any part of the intestinal tube may be incarcerated. These hernias progress more rapidly to gangrene than other strangulated hernias, and obstruction is less frequent. The gold standard technique for repair is the preperitoneal approach, followed by laparotomy and resection if perforation is suspected.