title: Forty-three cases of obturator hernia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obturator hernia is a relatively rare pelvic hernia and usually occurs in elderly, thin, multiparous women. Because symptoms are nonspecific, the diagnosis is often delayed until laparotomy is performed form to treat bowel obstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-three patients with obturator hernia undergoing surgery at Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital were divided retrospectively into two groups (group A = 23 patients from 1968 to 1986 before computed axial tomography [CAT] was developed; group B = 20 patients from 1987 to 1999 after CAT). Preoperative diagnosis, operative procedures, and postoperative course were reviewed and compared between the 2 groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preoperative diagnostic accuracy was significantly higher in group B at 80.0% (16 of 20 patients) than in group A at 43.5% (10 of 23 patients) (P = 0.0146). Rate of gut resection and mortality were significantly lower in group B at 25.0% (4 of 20) and 5.0% (1 of 20) than in group A at 52.2% (12 and 23) and 30.4% (7 of 23) (P = 0.0295 and P = 0.0385, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of pelvic CAT in cases of suspected obturator hernia significantly enhances preoperative diagnostic accuracy and helps to decrease both intestinal resection rate and surgical mortality.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Metabolic and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. kanmori-dis@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kammori
authors.forename: Ken-ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mafune
authors.forename: Tokuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirashima
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawahara
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Toshihisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaminishi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006553:Hernia, Obturator / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies