Prevalence of Umbilical Hernias by Computed Tomography.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Umbilical hernias (UHs) are commonly underdiagnosed due to their asymptomatic presentation. The aim was to determine the prevalence of UHs by computed tomography (CT) in a trauma center, to assess the magnitude of their underdiagnosis. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was designed, using CT studies to evaluate the integrity of the abdominal wall. The images were obtained from consecutive cases of adult patients (≥18 y) from the database of the radiology and imaging service during a 4-mo period. The sociodemographic features, type of CT scan, and description of the abdominal wall were obtained and compared with the radiology report. In the case of UH presence, the transversal, cephalocaudal, and anteroposterior lengths, as well as its content, were registered. RESULTS: A total of 472 CT scans were included with a 67.6% (n = 319) prevalence of UH. These were most common in men (58.9%, n = 188/319), but women were more likely to have UH ≥ 10 mm (55%, n = 72/131). Of those with UH, 63.6% were unreported by radiology. The most common content was peritoneal fat (87.5%). UH had medians (interquartile range) of 9.1 mm (6.8, 12.5), 8.3 mm (6, 11.5), and 12.8 mm (8.6, 18.2) in its transversal, cephalocaudal, and anteroposterior lengths, respectively. Transversal length had a high positive correlation with cephalocaudal length (r = 0.877). This datum relationship can be explained by at least 76% due to this factor. Interobserver reliability analyses resulted in substantial reliability (ICC>0.85 and k > 0.85). CONCLUSIONS: CT is an effective imaging tool for diagnosing UH. There is a high prevalence among the general adult population, with a high radiologic underreporting.