Obturator hernias are rare but pose a diagnostic challenge with relatively high morbidity and mortality. Our
patient is an elderly, thin female with an initial evaluation concerning for gastroenteritis, and further
evaluation revealed bilateral incarcerated obturator hernias, which confirmed postoperatively as well as a
right femoral hernia. An 83-year-old female presented to the outpatient office initially with one-day history
of diarrhea and one-week history of episodic colicky abdominal pain. She returned 4 weeks later with
diarrhea resolved but worsening abdominal pain and left inner thigh pain while ambulating, without changes
in appetite or nausea and vomiting. Abdominal CT scan then revealed bilateral obturator hernias. Patient
then presented to the emergency department (ED) due to worsening pain, and subsequently underwent
hernia repair. Intraoperatively, it was revealed that the patient had bilateral incarcerated obturator hernias
and a right femoral hernia. All three hernias were repaired, and patient was discharged two days later. Patient
remained well postoperatively, and 15-month CT of abdomen showed no hernia recurrence.
Hamman's syndrome (spontaneous pneumomediastinum presenting as subcutaneous emphysema): A rare case of the emergency department and review of the literature
