Pericecal Hernia Presenting as Acute Appendicitis

Abstract

We would like to report an unusual case of a pericecal hernia in a 93-year-old female. The patient did not report a history of previous abdominal surgery and presented with acute abdominal pain, constipation, nausea, and vomiting. Diagnosis was made with computerized tomography and laparoscopy was performed, which was significant for loops of small bowel in the pericecal region in a defect of peritoneum. The small bowel loops were mobilized back in the intraperitoneal location and the defect was closed to prevent further herniation. Our case is an extremely rare presentation of a rare condition, as there have only been five reported cases of pericecal hernias that required immediate surgical intervention and outlined explicit details of the surgical procedure. Pericecal hernias are unusual occurrences and occur more frequently in older women. Since the clinical signs and symptoms mimic acute appendicitis, delays in diagnosis are common. Thus, this case highlights the importance of suspecting strangulated internal hernias in patients with signs and symptoms of acute appendicitis to prevent significant morbidity and mortality.