Traumatic abdominal wall hernia

BACKGROUND Traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH) is uncommonly encountered despite the high prevalence of blunt abdominal trauma. The diagnosis is often difficult because of its varied presentation along with lack of awareness of this entity. METHODS The case files of all patients with TAWH who were operated at our hospital were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. RESULTS A total of 11 patients with TAWH were analyzed (8 males, 3 females). The clinical presentation was varied, with a palpable defect and a reducible swelling (6 patients), localized area of irreducible swelling (3 patients), surgical emphysema (2 patients), and cellulitis/abscess formation (2 patients). All of these patients were operated within 24 hours of hospital admission. Except for the 3 patients who presented late, there was a favorable outcome in all the others. The cause of mortality was septicemia, possibly due to incarceration of bowel in the defect leading to strangulation and perforation. CONCLUSION TAWH, although uncommon, is associated with significant morbidity and mortality when there is a delay in diagnosis and intervention. Early intervention leads to a significantly better outcome.