Sigmoid colon rupture within a left inguinal hernial sac in a male, due to blunt abdominal trauma

Rupture of the sigmoid colon into a hernial sac due to blunt abdominal trauma is very rare. The case is presented here of a 64-year-old Greek male with a history of left reversible inguinal hernia, who attended the hospital emergency department (ED) following a bicycle accident. The steering wheel of his bicycle had hit him in the lower abdomen, and he reported mild pain in the left groin. At that time there were no remarkable findings. Two days after the accident he re-attended the ED with severe abdominal pain and clinical findings of acute abdomen and sepsis. Abdominal computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis of rupture of the sigmoid colon into the left inguinal hernial sac, Sigmoidectomy and Hartmann colostomy were performed, and post-operative iv ciprofloxacin and metronidazole were administerted. He made a good recovery and was discharged with no complications. To our knowledge this is the first such case to be reported in Greece.