Back lumbar hernias are wall defects of the lumbar area, a region bound by the external oblique muscle laterally, the erector spinae muscle medially, the iliac crest inferiorly and the 12th rib superiorly. The region is divided into two spaces, the superior, also referred to as the Grynfeltt-Lesshaft triangle, and the inferior space, called Petit’s triangle. Contents of this upper lumbar hernia may include retroperitoneal organs such as the kidneys, and ascending or descending colon, intraperitoneal organs such as the small bowel, stomach, and spleen, and retroperitoneal or omental adipose tissue. Risk factors are elderly, obesity, muscular atrophy, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or any condition that causes increasing intra-abdominal pressure.

Case courtesy: Dr.ssa Chiara Gennari

Radiographer: TSRM Fabio Imola