Intestinal stenosis of Garré: A rare cause of small bowel obstruction in the virgin abdomen

INTRODUCTION: Small bowel obstruction (SBO) in the virgin abdomen usually requires operative intervention. Intestinal stenosis of Garré is a rare and frequently missed cause of SBO following hernia repair. METHODS: We describe a case of intestinal stenosis of Garré and provide a comprehensive review of the literature. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics V.22 software and included descriptive analysis. RESULTS: Most males developed a delayed stricture following an inguinal hernia repair (93.3%). 84.6% of females, on the other hand, developed intestinal stenosis following repair of a femoral hernia. 87.5% of strictures developed on the right side. The timing of development of a bowel obstruction is very variable and ranges from 5 days to 22 years. 22 patients (68.8%), however, presented with an obstruction within 5 months of hernia repair. CONCLUSIONS: Intestinal stenosis of Garré is an under-reported cause of delayed stricture formation.It is most common following right inguinal hernia repair in men and right femoral hernia repair in women.