A Transmesocolic Hernia of the Transverse Colon with Intestinal Obstruction

Internal hernias can be either congenital or acquired. Meyers described several main types of internal hernias, including paraduodenal, pericecal, foramen of Winslow, transomental, transmesenteric, transmesocolic, intersigmoid, and retroanastomotic hernias. While the overall incidence of internal hernias is relatively low, ranging from 0.2% to 0.9%, and they account for only 0.5% to 5.8% of cases of intestinal obstruction, they can be life-threatening with a mortality rate exceeding 50% if strangulation occurs.

In the case of transmesocolic hernias, defects in the mesentery can be congenital, surgically induced, traumatic, inflammatory, or idiopathic in origin. Our reported case represents a rare occurrence in an adult without a history of trauma or previous bowel surgery. Congenital transmesocolic hernias are exceptionally uncommon, with only a few cases reported in the medical literature.

Here, we present a case of a congenital transmesocolic hernia involving the transverse colon, leading to intestinal obstruction in a 50-year-old male patient. The condition was diagnosed preoperatively, and an emergency laparotomy was performed.