COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE OF HERNIAS OF THE BLADDER

Herniation of the bladder is not uncommon and it can occur with any type of hernia in the groin. Most bladder hernias are discovered unexpectedly during herniorrhaphy, and serious complications can result from intraoperative injury to the bladder. The appearance of hernias on excretory urography and cystography has been described extensively but experience with computerized tomography (CT) has been limited. We describe the appearance of 8 bladder hernias on CT: 2 incisional, 2 femoral, 3 small direct inguinal, and 1 massive direct inguinal hernia with bladder necrosis and perforation. Appearance on CT is characteristic, and this modality may be useful for preoperative evaluation.