Rupture of herniated small intestine from blunt abdominal injury: a report of 2 cases

Two cases of perforation of the small bowel following blunt abdominal injury in patients with an abdominal hernia are presented. In one case the bowel was present in a large incisional hernia and the injuring force caused transection of the bowel at three different sites. The bowel was resected and the hernia was repaired at the same time. The patient died of associated chest injuries. In the second case, the bowel was caught in an inguinal hernia; although the injuring force was relatively mild it resulted in two perforations in the herniated terminal ileum. The patient survived following closure of the perforations and simultaneous repair of the hernia.