A sliding hernia is best defined as a hernia in which:

• A Two loops of bowel occupy the sac with a third loop strangulated inside the abdomen
• B The omentum alone forms the contents of the sac
• C Only part of the circumference of the bowel wall protrudes through the defect
• D Part of the wall of a retroperitoneal viscus forms the wall of the hernial sac ✓

Explanation

In a sliding hernia the viscus, usually caecum on the right or sigmoid colon on the left, is retroperitoneal and descends with the peritoneal pouch so that its own wall constitutes part of the sac. This matters surgically because the bowel cannot simply be reduced out of the sac and must be dissected free, risking injury. Option A describes Maydl's hernia and option C describes Richter's hernia.

Reference: Bailey and Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.