Central perineal hernia mimicking rectocele: a case report.

BACKGROUND: A perineal hernia is a very rare clinical finding. Three forms are distinguished: anterior, posterior, and central. Diagnosis of the last one is difficult, and sometimes, it is falsely named a posterior rectocele. AIM: This work presents a successfully treated case of central perineal hernia and makes a brief summary of existent literature on the problem. PRESENTATION OF THE CASE: We report of a 67-year-old female patient with a symptomatic central pelvic floor hernia. After radiological confirmation of the diagnosis, a transperitoneal approach was chosen to reposition the protruded segment of the small bowel. The hernial orifice was closed by extraperitoneal implantation of a polypropylene mesh. DISCUSSION: In the present case, the use of a laparoscopic technique seemed unsuitable due to the extension of the findings. For the repair of perineal hernia, we followed the principles of the "tension-free" concept. If there are no signs of a pelvic floor infection and if the mesh can be implanted totally extraperitoneally, we recommend the use of nonabsorbable alloplastic material (polypropylene) for reinforcement of the pelvic floor as a suitable technique for the repair of large perineal hernias.