Prevalence of adult paraumbilical hernia. Assessment by high-resolution sonography: a hospital-based study.

Background: Abdominal wall hernias are a common imaging finding in the abdomen. Ultrasonography (US) is noninvasive and allows the examination of the patient in a physiological manner. High-frequency annular US probes have become an increasingly important diagnostic tool for detecting pathological lesions in superficial organs.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of paraumbilical hernias among adult patients by abdominal sonography in a tertiary care hospital and to describe the sonographic technique and findings.

Materials And Methods: During the 2-year period between January 2008 and December 2009, we performed high-resolution US of the anterior abdominal wall on 302 patients who were referred for different reasons other than the examination of the anterior abdominal wall. The images were taken by a radiologist with 12 years of experience in US, and the images were reviewed by three consultant radiologists with expertise in body imaging.

Results: A total of 302 patients [169 females (56.0%) and 133 males (44.0%)], ranging in age from 17 to 85 years, with a mean age of 53.5 years, were enrolled in the study. The number of positive cases among females was 42 (24.9%) and that among males was 31 (23.3%).

Conclusion: High-resolution US is an efficient tool for detecting the presence of paraumbilical hernias and accurately verifying not only their content, but also the possible associated complications.