Traumatic Abdominal Wall Hernia: A Case Report of High-Energy Type without surgical Repair

Repair of traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH) has been reported to be necessary. Reported here is one case of TAWH without repair. A 27-year-old man was accidentally sandwiched between a rock and a truck and admitted to our emergency department. There was a swelling of 10 cm in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. The enhanced computed tomographic scan demonstrated a large abdominal wall muscular defect, transverse colon protrusion, and the presence of subcutaneous emphysema at the site. Based on these findings, lacerated transverse colon entrapped in TAWH was diagnosed. The patient underwent emergency laparotomy for laceration of the transverse colon, duodenum and pancreas, and open book fracture of the pelvis. Repair of the hernia was not performed because of the possibility of abscess formation by stool contamination. However, the hernia disappeared and the patient is doing well without recurrence of hernia 16 months after injury.

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Unusual Transoral Penetrating Injury of the Foramen Magnum: Case Report

Neurosurgery ◽

10.1227/01.neu.0000084081.61681.8b ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 53 (4) ◽

pp. 989-991 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Bradley J. Bartholomew ◽

Charla Poole ◽

Emilio C. Tayag

Keyword(s):

Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽

Unusual Case ◽

Spinal Injury ◽

Foramen Magnum ◽

Penetrating Injuries ◽

Computed Tomographic ◽

Foreign Objects ◽

Computed Tomographic Scan ◽

Posterior Pharynx ◽

The Right

Abstract OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE Penetrating injuries of the cranium and spine are frequent to the civilian neurosurgical practice. Although a variety of unusual objects have been reported, to our knowledge, there has never been a craniocerebral or spinal injury caused by a fish. An unusual case of transoral penetration of the foramen magnum by a billed fish is described. The history, radiographic studies, and treatment are presented. CLINICAL PRESENTATION A fisherman struck by a jumping fish initially presented with severe neck pain and stiffness, bleeding from the mouth, and a laceration in the right posterior pharynx. A computed tomographic scan of the cervical spine revealed a wedge-shaped, hyperdense object extending from the posterior pharynx into the spinal canal between the atlas and the occiput. Because of the time factor involved, the fisherman was brought directly to surgery for transoral removal of the object. INTERVENTION The patient was placed under general anesthesia, and with a tonsillar retractor, a kipner, and hand-held retractors, the object was visualized and identified as a fish bill. Further dissection above the anterior aspect of the atlas permitted removal of the object by means of a grabber from an arthroscopic set. No expression of cerebrospinal fluid was noted, and a Penrose drain was placed. CONCLUSION The patient was treated under the assumption that penetrating foreign objects in continuity with the cerebrospinal fluid space and the outside environment should be removed as soon as possible. The patient was provided appropriate antibiotics to treat potential infection of normal pharyngeal flora and organisms unique to the marine environment. The patient recovered and did not experience any residual neurological deficit.

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