Spiegel's hernia, a rare weakness of the abdominal wall

Abstract

Spiegel's hernia, also known as lateral ventral hernia, is a rare entity of abdominal hernias due to a congenital or acquired defect in the abdominal wall anterior to the midline. The incidence is approximately 2% of abdominal wall hernias. It most commonly affects the elderly, and is more common in women. This hernia is secondary to certain factors such as collagen disorders, obesity, pregnancy, chronic cough. Diagnosis is often difficult due to its particular location, usually asymptomatic, but the risk of strangulation is significant. Abdominal ultrasound is useful, but a computerized tomography (CT) scan is the best imaging test to confirm the diagnosis with a highr sensitivity, allowing visualization of the muscle dehiscence and the content of the hernia sac. We report a case of an unstrangulated Spiegel’s hernia in an elderly man, treated surgically with a composite mesch under laparoscopy.