Abdominal wall hernias : imaging with spiral CT

Abstract

Abdominal wall hernias may be complicated by strangulation, incarceration, or trauma and are therefore surgically repaired even if asymptomatic. Post-surgical complications are also common and include hernia recurrence, infected and non-infected fluid collections, and complications related to prosthetic material. Spiral CT provides exquisite anatomic detail of the abdominal wall, thereby allowing accurate identification of clinically unconfnmed hernias and their contents, differentiation of hernias from other abdominal masses (tumors, hematomas, abscesses), and detection of pre- or postoperative complications. Spiral CT with multiplanar reconstructions is especially helpful for optimal treatment planning.