External anterior abdominal wall and pelvic hernias with emphasis on the key diagnostic features on MDCT

Clinical diagnosis of abdominal wall hernias can be challenging. These common entities can be symptomatic and prone to complications. Pre-surgical planning and investigation of acute presentations can be achieved by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) with its added multiplanar reformatting capability. Here we delineate the important anatomical landmarks and key signs on CT of a wide spectrum of external anterior abdominal wall and pelvic hernias.