Congenital lumbar herniae: a systematic review

Abstract

Purpose: Congenital lumbar hernia is defined as the protrusion of intraperitoneal or extraperitoneal viscera through a defect of the posterior abdominal wall, present at birth. The aim of our study was to perform a systematic review of this rare pathology, with emphasis on surgical decision-making.

Methods: The English literature (2000-2020) was reviewed, using PubMed, EMBASE and GoogleScholar databases, combining the terms "hernia", "lumbar", "flank", "Grynfeltt", "Petit" and "congenital". Overall, 35 studies were included, describing 85 patients.

Results: Mean age was 9.7 ± 20.7 months (range 1 day-10 years). 55.7% were males and 44.3% were females. All patients presented electively, with flank bulging as the main symptom. Superior lumbar triangle (Grynfeltt) herniae accounted for 41.8%, inferior lumbar triangle (Petit) herniae for 32.8%, whereas 25.4% were classified as diffuse. A left-sided hernia was observed in 47%, a right-sided in 42.4%, while 10.6% were bilateral. 71.8% of the patients had associated anatomical anomalies, mainly the lumbocostovertebral syndrome. Most patients (83.3%) were treated surgically, while 16.7% conservatively with surveillance. In 93.3%, the surgical approach was open, with laparoscopy employed in 6.7% of cases. The majority (71.7%) underwent primary suture repair of the hernia defect, whereas a mesh was required in 28.3%. Post-operative morbidity was 6.7% and recurrence rate was 3.3% at a mean follow-up of 26.4 months.

Conclusion: Congenital lumbar hernia is a rare pathology in the paediatric population, with only 85 cases reported since 2000. Although the diagnosis is frequently straightforward, it should raise the suspicion for associated congenital anomalies and further investigation is required, with cross-sectional imaging. Surgical repair is usually performed during the first year, to allow for symmetrical torso development.

Keywords: Congenital lumbar hernia; Grynfeltt; Lumbar hernia; Petit.