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Updated: Mar 25, 2026
Multimodality Diagnosis of Mesenteric Ischemia
Published on: July 21, 2023
Congenital Mesenteric Defect: An Uncommon Cause of Bowel Obstruction
Pouya Benyamini1, Sarah Lopez1, Matthew Cooper1
1University of Hawai'i Surgical Residency Program, Honolulu, HI (PB, MDC,GM).
Congenital mesenteric defects can lead to internal hernias which may result in a bowel obstruction. They are very rare among the adult population, comprising only 0.2%-0.9% incidence rate of all small bowel obstructions. A 40 year old woman presented to the Emergency Department with abdominal pain.Computed tomography scan was obtained and showed a small bowel obstruction.After failed conservative management with bowel rest and nasogastric tube decompression, the patient underwent diagnostic laparoscopy.An internal hernia was identified though a congenital mesenteric defect at the level of the sigmoid colon. The hernia was reduced and the defect closed. When a patient presents with abdominal pain the diagnosis of a congenital mesenteric defect with internal hernia should be considered with subsequent emergent surgical exploration.
Congenital mesenteric defects can lead to internal hernias which may result in a bowel obstruction. They are very rare among the adult population, comprising only 0.2%-0.9% incidence rate of all small bowel obstructions. A 40 year old woman presented to the Emergency Department with abdominal pain.Computed tomography scan was obtained and showed a small bowel obstruction.After failed conservative management with bowel rest and nasogastric tube decompression, the patient underwent diagnostic laparoscopy.An internal hernia was identified though a congenital mesenteric defect at the level of the sigmoid colon. The hernia was reduced and the defect closed. When a patient presents with abdominal pain the diagnosis of a congenital mesenteric defect with internal hernia should be considered with subsequent emergent surgical exploration.
