Abdominal wall hernias. The value of computed tomography diagnosis in the obese patient.

The abdominal wall is a common and often overlooked source of pain. Three obese patients with pain that proved to come from an abdominal wall hernia are described. The hernias were not found on physical examination, and extensive workup of the digestive tract did not disclose the diagnosis. Computed tomography directed at the abdominal wall demonstrated the hernias. We review the literature on the use of computed tomography in the diagnosis of abdominal wall lesions.