Postoperative atrophy of abdominal wall musculature: CT demonstration.

Eleven cases in which CT demonstrated severe unilateral atrophy of abdominal wall musculature were reviewed. All patients had undergone surgery on the ipsilateral side 6 months to 28 years prior to CT. The patterns of muscular atrophy correlated well with the type of incision made and the nature of surgery performed. Denervation injury resulting from surgical incision is the most likely explanation for this finding on CT. Normal innervation of abdominal wall muscle groups is discussed, and the relationship of unilateral muscular atrophy to previous surgical incision is emphasized.