Herniation of the broad ligament… And the other side?

Broad ligament herniation is a very uncommon cause of small bowel obstruction. Surgery permits reduction of the hernia and closure of the defect to prevent recurrence.

We report a rare case of a 35 year old woman admitted in our hospital for recurrence of a small-bowel obstruction, secondary to internal hernia. The patient underwent intestinal resection in 2018 for herniated left broad ligament of the uterus strangulated. This time, the computed tomography revealed a double junctional syndrome with ileal dilation localized in right side of uterus. Emergency surgery confirmed internal hernia with passage of ileal loops through the right broad ligament. After reduction of the hernia, closure of the defect was performed to prevent recurrence. For the first time, a check of other classic abdominal hernias was carried out.

Internal hernias are responsible for less than 5% of mechanical bowel obstruction. Broad ligament hernias represent only 4-7% of these hernias. The diagnosis is often delayed, because of its rarity and lack of surgical history. Surgery confirms the diagnosis, treats the occlusion and prevents recurrence. The presence of several internal hernias has never been studied and no recommendation has been made on this topic.

This case demonstrate the importance of a systematic exploration of other internal abdominal hernias during the surgery, especially a contralateral broad ligament hernia.