MDCT of abdominal wall lumbar hernias: anatomical review, pathologic findings and differential diagnosis

Purpose

To review the anatomical landmarks of the abdominal wall lumbar region and its normal appearance on multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and to briefly describe the MDCT features of lumbar hernias.

Methods

We performed a retrospective search of the imaging report database from November 2007 to October 2011. We retrieved the clinical data and MDCT studies of patients suffering from abdominal wall lumbar hernias. We reviewed the imaging features of abdominal lumbar hernias and compared those with the normal appearance of the lumbar region in asymptomatic individuals.

Results

We classified lumbar wall hernias as diffuse, superior (or Grynfelt–Lesshaft) and inferior (or Petit) lumbar hernias. We briefly describe the imaging features of each subtype and review the anatomy and MDCT appearance of normal lumbar region.

Conclusions

Currently available MDCT provides an excellent opportunity for reviewing the normal anatomy of the wall lumbar region and may be considered a useful modality for evaluating lumbar hernias.