Abdominal herniae

An abdominal hernia is the protrusion of contents of the coelomic cavity through the wall that contains it, usually as a result of weakness in that wall. In the abdomen as elsewhere, this may be at a site of normal weakness, for example, a place where a vessel or viscus enters or leaves the wall.

In general hernia are:

• reducible
• have an expansile cough impulse
• occur at congenital or acquired weak spots in the abdominal wall

Diagnosis of a hernia is based on:

• site
• presence of reducibility and an expansile cough impulse
• when these signs are absent, the exclusion of other causes of a lump