Atypical femoral hernia called Laugier’s hernia: clinical features, radiological findings, and management at a single center

Purpose Laugier’s hernia is a rare clinical entity compared with a typical femoral hernia. Therefore, the clinical features, radiological findings, and appropriate treatment strategies remain largely unclear. In this study, we present 15 Laugier’s hernia cases. Additionally, we review the relevant literature and discuss the clinical features, radiological findings, and appropriate treatment strategies pertaining to Laugier’s hernia compared with a typical femoral hernia. Methods Among 1260 hernia patients, we retrospectively enrolled 15 Laugier’s hernia patients (1.19%) and 89 femoral hernia patients (7.06%) who underwent herniorrhaphy and compared the demographic characteristics and radiological findings between the two groups. Results Regarding the patient characteristics, a significant difference was observed in the presence of pain ( p < 0.001) and ileus symptoms ( p = 0.001). Regarding the hernia characteristics, significant differences were observed in the size of the hernial sac ( p = 0.001), contents of the hernial sac ( p = 0.003), repositioning of the hernial sac ( p < 0.001), and repair with polypropylene mesh ( p < 0.001). The characteristic multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) findings enabled the preoperative diagnosis of Laugier’s hernia versus conventional femoral hernia. Conclusion Surgeons should be alert to the possibility of atypical femoral hernias while examining femoral hernia or inguinal hernia patients. If Laugier’s hernia is suspected, preoperative MDCT is recommended.