The Whirlpool Sign in Abdominal Pain: The Hernias that Radiologists Should Never Forget

An internal hernia is defined as a protrusion of a viscus through a peritoneal or mesenteric opening within the peritoneal cavity, which occurs in less than 1% of patients with abdominal pain. The diagnostic imaging should be performed with contrast tomography looking for findings of grouping of handles; grouping, elongation and regurgitation of the mesenteric vessels; displacement of the mesenteric main trunk to the right, among others. The role of the radiologist is crucial in the approach of these patients, where a timely decision allows improving the decision making and the prognosis of these patients.