Anterior abdominal wall ‘peritoneal recess’: cause for pseudoherniation of small bowel resulting in chronic abdominal pain

A middle-aged patient presented with intermittent chronic abdominal pain without any obvious cause. Computed tomography detected a hernia (presumed to be the cause of the patient’s symptoms) without any obvious lump on examination. A laparoscopy was performed to repair the hernia. This revealed a left-sided unilateral ‘peritoneal recess’ at the level of the arcuate line extending medial to the linea semilunaris. No extraperitoneal sac or defect was noted in the rectus sheath or in the muscle, nor were any contents present in the recess at the time of the laparoscopy. We believe the bowel was being trapped intermittently in this space, causing the abdominal symptoms.