Lumbar hernia misdiagnosed as a subcutaneous lipoma: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Lumbar hernia is a rare abdominal wall defect and clinical suspicion is necessary for diagnosis. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 40-year-old Caucasian woman with a superior lumbar hernia (Grynfeltt hernia) initially misdiagnosed as a recurrent lipoma. The correct diagnosis was made intra-operatively and the hernia was repaired using synthetic mesh. The patient was free of recurrence at 4 months after the operation. CONCLUSION: A lumbar or flank mass should always raise suspicion of a lumbar hernia. Ultrasound and computed tomography may confirm the diagnosis. Adequate surgical treatment should be planned on the basis of etiology and hernia size. Both open and laparoscopic techniques can be used with good results.