Postherpetic abdominal pseudohernia: A diagnostic pitfall

Abdominal pseudohernia in a child after surgical correction of congenital scoliosis: case report

Abdominal wall relaxation is a rare complication of various surgical procedures or diseases, when the intercostal or upper lumbar nerves are affected, and the innervation of the muscles of the abdominal wall is damaged. The result is a mass that can visually mimic a ventral hernia. We present a clinical case and the results of a literature review on this topic.

Clinical case

The 2 years 5 months patient diagnosed with a congenital deformity of the spine (posterolateral hemivertebra) underwent extraction of the hemivertebra from the retroperitoneal approach. In the postoperative period, a pseudohernial protrusion of the anterior abdominal wall was observed. 4.5 months later the protrusion resolved spontaneously.

Discussion

Abdominal wall relaxation is studied worldwide and is presented primarily as clinical case reports, mainly in older patients with neurological diseases. Single cases of this pathology are described among children. The Th10-Th12 roots are most often affected. Possible manifestations include: bloating and abdominal pain, pseudo-obstruction of the small and/or large intestine, and constipation. In the described case, only unilateral bloating at rest was observed, which increased with crying and strain. The natural course and prognosis of this diagnosis are usually favorable-the recovery period, according to the literature, takes an average of 4-5 months, which also coincided with our case.

Conclusion

Pseudohernias are a rare complication and may can occur during correction of spinal deformities in children. This condition is a transient disorder of the anterior abdominal wall muscles, the cause of which may be neuropathy caused by infection, metabolic disorders, or mechanical damage. The main principles of treatment of this condition include active observation and symptomatic therapy. The prognosis is usually favorable.

Abdominal paresis and pseudo-hernia secondary to herpes zoster infection: A case report and systematic analysis

Background

Abdominal pseudo-hernia secondary to herpes zoster infection is rare and the clinical features and factors affecting recovery remain poorly understood.

Aim

We aimed to describe the clinical features of patients with abdominal pseudo-hernia secondary to herpes zoster infection and attempt to identify factors associated with poor recovery.

Design

Literature review and retrospective Analysis.

Methods

We report a case and performed a retrospective, systematic review of the demographic background, clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with abdominal pseudo-hernia secondary to herpes zoster infection in the literature over 20 years (2001-2021).

Results

We analyzed a total of 34 cases. The median age of the patients was 71.5 years. Most of the patients were male (n = 27, 79.4%). The most frequently affected dermatome was T-11 (n = 20, 66.7%). In four (12.5%) patients, abdominal pseudo-hernia started before the onset of rash. In all patients (n = 12, 100%) who underwent nerve conduction study and electromyography, there was electrophysiological evidence of acute denervation. Seven patients (20.6%) had imaging features suggestive of abdominal wall atrophy and denervation. The majority of patients had good recovery. The median follow-up time was 3 (15 days-12 months) months. Patients with pre-existing medical conditions (p = 0.03) were more likely to have a worse recovery.

Conclusion

Abdominal pseudo-hernia is a rare complication of herpes zoster infection with a good prognosis for recovery, although patients with pre-existing disease appear to recover worse. In rare cases, it may occur before the onset of typical zoster rashes and should be suspected, especially in older, male patients with involvement of the lower thoracic dermatomes.

Abdominal wall pseudohernia - One secondary to a thoracic extraforaminal disc herniation and other due to thoracic paracentral disc protrusion

An abdominal wall pseudohernia is a rare clinical entity which consists of an abnormal bulging of the abdominal wall that can resemble a true hernia, but without an associated underlying fascial or muscle defect. It is caused by segmental neuropathy and subsequent denervation of abdominal wall musculature. We present two cases of an abdominal wall pseudohernia. One secondary to a thoracic extraforaminal disc herniation in a 57-year-old male, which, as far as the authors are aware, has not been described previously. The other in a 67 year old male due to right foraminal and paracentral disc protrusion at T9/10.

[Abdominal pseudohernia: diagnosis and treatment]

OBJECTIVE

To present an effective treatment strategy for abdominal pseudohernia considering own clinical experience and literature data.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The authors report surgical treatment of 2 patients and therapeutic management of 1 patient with abdominal pseudohernia. Moreover, current state of this problem is analyzed according to literature data in Pubmed, Google and e-library databases.

RESULTS. P

Seudohernia is followed by asymmetrical protrusion of abdominal wall, prolapsed site is not involved in breathing; patients cannot tense muscles in the affected area. T8-L2 skin sensitivity impairment or hyperesthesia may be observed. Denervation is confirmed by electroneuromyography. Ultrasound, CT and MRI reveal no defect in abdominal wall. However, its thinning within denervation area is visualized. Treatment is determined by the cause and reversibility of denervation. If mechanical damage (intersection) of T8-L2 nerves following trauma or any manipulation is absent, the main cause is herpes zoster neuropathy. Surgical treatment is not indicated. Antiherpetic therapy and physical therapy result functional restoration of abdominal wall muscles within 2-4 months. In case of mechanical cause of pseudohernia, it is advisable to wait at least a year after denervation for real assessment of situation. Partial or complete re-innervation is possible throughout this period. Surgical treatment is indicated if re-innervation is absent. An effective technique presented in this manuscript is reconstruction of the prolapsed area with several imbrication sutures in several planes up to symmetry with contralateral area with subsequent reinforcement with a mesh implant if necessary. There were no relapses in 2 our patients within 5 and 7 years, respectively.

CONCLUSION

In our opinion, this report is the first manuscript devoted to systematic analysis of diagnosis and treatment of abdominal pseudohernia in available literature. Surgical treatment is not indicated for postherpetic pseudohernia. It is carried out for pseudohernia persisting for more than 1 year if its cause is trauma or any manipulation.

Painful Abdominal Outpouching in an Adult Male

Post-herpetic abdominal pseudohernia is a neurologic complication of herpes zoster resulting from paresis of the abdominal wall muscles ipsilateral to the eruption. This poorly known condition may raise suspicion for true abdominal wall hernia or other concerning etiologies, resulting in extensive work-up and imaging. Post-herpetic abdominal pseudohernia is a relatively benign condition, which resolves spontaneously in the majority of cases. Therefore, it is important for the clinician to be aware of this complication in order to avoid unnecessary imaging or excessive management, which may increase the cost of care and burden to the patient.

Postherpetic abdominal pseudohernia: A diagnostic pitfall

The accurate diagnosis of postherpetic abdominal pseudohernia, the rare complication of herpes zoster, is essential to avoid unnecessary imaging studies or surgery. Close observation and waiting for complete recovery are warranted considering the disease's self‐resolving nature and favorable prognosis.