An unusual cause of pediatric altered mental status: a mesenteric hernia.

Altered mental status can have many causes, some of which are life threatening, especially in children. In addition to the usual central nervous system and metabolic causes, such as meningitis, encephalitis, seizure, electrolyte imbalance, and inborn errors of metabolism, some less common causes of altered mental status, which if not diagnosed and managed rapidly, can have poor consequences. We present a case of a child with a life-threatening unusual cause of altered mental status, a mesenteric hernia with hypovolemic shock. The hernia was reduced successfully at laparotomy. The postoperative course was uneventful.