[Traumatic lumbar hernia of the Petit's triangle. A clinical case]

Lumbar hernias are very rare and no more than 300 are reported in literature. They can be classified as congenital and acquired. The latter are in turn subdivided into primary and secondary. Secondary traumatic lumbar hernias account for 25% of all cases. The site of the formation of this hernia is mainly Grynfelt's triangle and, to a lesser extent, Petit's triangle. Traumatic lumbar hernia have very moderate symptoms and may be corrected surgically relatively easily, in particular with the use of Marlex nets. Recidivations can be easily identified owing to the lack of aponeurotic support structures in this anatomic site. Owing to their traumatic etiopathogenesis these hernias are of particular medicolegal importance for the purposes of indemnity. The case reported refers to a 46-years-old man involved in a road accident who sustained an injury caused by the explosion of hollow viscera in the abdomen and the subsequent onset of a hernia swelling through Petit's triangle in the right lumbar region. Owing to the width of the breach, plastic surgery was carried out using a Marlex graft. A large recidivation was observed around one year later.