title: Lumbar hernia in South Korea: different from that in foreign literature?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to analyze the clinical features of lumbar hernia reported in South Korea and compare these features with those reported in foreign literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 1968 through December 2013, 13 cases reported in South Korea were included in the study. The variables compared were age, sex, main symptoms at hospital visit, etiology, location, herniated contents, lateralization, defect size, diagnostic methods, surgical methods, surgical opinions, and recurrence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the South Korean cases, women outnumbered men (3.3:1) and no significant differences were found in the herniated side (left:right, 1.1:1). In contrast, in the foreign cases, men outnumbered women (3:1) and left-sided hernia was dominant (2:1). Moreover, in most of the foreign cases, patients were aged 50-70 years, whereas in the South Korean cases, none of the patients were in their 50 s. However, no substantial differences were found in etiology, anatomical locations, symptoms, and herniated contents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This research revealed that few clinical features of lumbar hernias in South Korea differ from those reported in foreign literature. Thirteen cases were analyzed in the present study, and results obtained from such a small sample size cannot be generalized with certainty. Therefore, more cases should be collected for a definitive analysis. Despite this limitation, this study is important because it is the first attempt to collect and analyze the clinical features of lumbar hernia in South Korea. This study will serve as a basis for future studies investigating the clinical features of lumbar hernia cases in South Korea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Chosun University, Gwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Gwangju Veterans Hospital, 99 Cheomdanwolbong-ro, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, South Korea. oligos@naver.com.|Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, South Korea. oligos@naver.com.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Gwangju Veterans Hospital, 99 Cheomdanwolbong-ro, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D046449:Hernia, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D059685:Herniorrhaphy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Clinical features; Difference; Lumbar hernia; South Korea