Background Obturator hernia is an extremely rare subtype of abdominal wall hernia, typically occurring in elderly female with a history of chronic increased intra-abdominal pressure or multiple pregnancies. However, it is rarely encountered in young individuals, which may lead to diagnostic oversight. Here, we report a case of a young female with Marfan syndrome who developed a left obturator hernia Patient presentation A young female with Marfan syndrome and pectus excavatum presented with 6 h of persistent severe left inguinal pain. Diagnostic process Physical examination revealed a 2 cm × 2 cm localized swelling in the upper medial aspect of the left thigh, medial to the inguinal ligament. Left Howship-Romberg sign (+). Computed tomography (CT) examination indicated pectus excavatum, cardiomegaly, and a left obturator hernia. Intervention Based on these findings, laparoscopic preperitoneal inguinal hernia mesh repair was performed. Outcome The patient was discharged on postoperative day 3 and followed up for 14 months. Recovery was uneventful with no complications. Conclusion This case highlights the importance of differential diagnostic thinking for hernias in patients with connective tissue diseases.
Zhang et al. (Tue,) studied this question.