title: A case of ventral hernia mesh migration with splenosis mimicking a gastric mass.
abstract: This case reports the presentation and investigation of a 64-year-old woman presenting with symptoms of bowel obstruction and found to have synchronous intraluminal migration of a polypropylene mesh from a ventral hernia repair and splenosis compressing the stomach wall. The use of synthetic mesh in any type of hernia repair has a number of risks, one of which is transmigration. This is a very rare complication but has been reported in a number of cases following both open and transabdominal pre-peritoneal repairs of inguinal hernias. Heterotopic splenic tissue or "splenosis" can be a cause of a soft tissue mass, which can mimic a neoplasm leading to misdiagnosis. These implants result from either splenic trauma or after splenic surgery.
authors.affiliation: Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Road, Dublin 9, Dublin, D7, Ireland.
authors.forename: Gavin A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Falk
authors.forename: John Ryan
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Means
authors.forename: Auora Dawn
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pryor