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A Rare Cause of Intestinal Occlusion

Raffaele Lanteri, MD, PhD; Marco Santangelo, MD; Cristian Rapisarda, MD; Antonio Di Cataldo, MD; Antonio Licata, MD

Arch Surg. 2004;139:1299-1300.

Morgagni-Larrey hernia is a rare pathologic finding, representing approximately 3% to 5% of diaphragmatic hernias. Its bilateral presentation is an absolute rarity, and its description is based only on isolated case reports. Two different theories exist about its origin: congenital vs acquired. Morgagni-Larrey hernia is asymptomatic in most cases, but it can also manifest with abdominal or thoracic symptoms. Diagnosis is based on findings from conventional radiography and computed tomography. The only treatment is closure of the herniary pass, even if the patient is asymptomatic. We describe this case because of the absolute rarity of bilateral localization in Morgagni-Larrey hernia and because of its subocclusive symptoms.

Author Affiliations: Department of Surgical Sciences, Organ Transplantations, and Advanced Technologies, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.