Small bowel obstruction due to internal herniation through a defect in the falciform ligament: a rare case report and review of the literature

Background The falciform ligament hernia is a type of internal herniation, caused by a defect in the falciform ligament of the liver. The etiology for this defect may be congenital or iatrogenic, created after the laparoscopic intervention. Case presentation A 45-year-old male was presented to our hospital, complaining of abdominal pain for 2 days. The physical examination revealed diffuse abdominal tenderness and guarding. The abdominal X-ray was suggestive of intestinal obstruction. On abdominal CT images, dilated proximal ileal loops between the left hepatic lobe and anterior abdominal wall, forming a closed-loop with mesenteric edema and fat stranding, were observed. There were findings of ileus in the jejunal loops proximal to this segment, but the ileal loops and the colon were completely collapsed, consistent with small bowel obstruction due to internal herniation through a defect in the falciform ligament. The patient underwent surgical intervention, reduction of the herniated bowel loops, and repairing the hernia defect. He had an uneventful recovery with a favorable outcome. Conclusion Herniation through a defect in the falciform ligament is extremely rare but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen. The clinical manifestations of falciform ligament hernia are nonspecific and may underestimate the diagnosis, leading to a delayed treatment that affects the management outcome. Computed tomography plays an important role in the timely diagnosis and planning of surgical intervention, precluding intestinal strangulation.