Traumatic abdominal wall hernia: case report and review of the literature

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH) is a rare type of hernia that occurs after an impact of the abdominal wall against a blunt object. The first case described was reported in 1906 and ever since, 46 cases have been reported. CT scan is mandatory in the diagnosis of TAWH but also because of a frequent association with significant intra-abdominal injuries. We report here the case of a 61-year-old man with a TAWH developed after impact against a bicycle handlebar. Hemodynamically stable and without associated injuries, the patient was monitored for 24 hours before hospital discharge. A successful elective hernia repair with a prosthetic mesh was performed 6 weeks later once cicatrisation was achieved.