A Rare Case of Lumbar Hernia Secondary to an Iliopsoas Abscess: A Case Report

Lumbar hernia is an uncommon condition that can either be congenital or acquired. Acquired lumbar hernia is further divided into primary, with no identifiable cause, and secondary, occurring due to previous trauma, infection, or surgery. Here, we present the case of inferior lumbar hernia in a 65-year-old Asian male who was a chronic alcoholic and smoker. He presented with a complaint of a longstanding swelling in the right lumbar region for five years and no other associated symptoms. The swelling was reducible, an expansile cough impulse was felt on palpation, and bowel sounds were heard on auscultation. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan revealed a 6.7 cm defect in the lateral abdominal wall in the right lumbar region with bowel loops, cecum, ascending colon, mesentery, and mesenteric artery seen herniating through the defect. There was a history of an iliopsoas abscess at the same site five years ago, which was treated with incision and drainage. The patient was advised for an open mesh repair but could not be operated upon due to coexisting aortic stenosis and regurgitation. Our impression, from this report, is that a chronic iliopsoas abscess tracking to the inferior lumbar region and the incision and drainage thereof, leading to a weakness in the abdominal wall, may be considered to be a cause of inferior lumbar hernia, with chronic smoking on part of the patient being a significant contributing factor for the abdominal muscle weakness. Therefore prompt and meticulous treatment of an iliopsoas abscess must be done to prevent this complication.