CONGENITAL DEFECT IN THE MUSCULATURE OF THE ABDOMINAL WALL

Abstract

Congenital defect or absence of the musculature of the abdominal wall is a rare condition, but interesting in that postmortem examinations in these cases have revealed abnormalities of the genito-urinary system. In 1903, Stumme 1 compiled the cases recorded; in 1905 Garrod and Davies 2 collected all the cases published and added two of their own. In 1909, Mollison 3 arranged all cases reported, twelve altogether, in chronological order. He also added one case which he had under observation at that time. In 1913, Thatcher 4 next reported a case of congenital defect of the abdominal muscles with anomaly of the urinary apparatus, and the same year Smith 5 also presented a typical case in which a moderate degree of genu valgum and talipes calcaneovalgus were present on both sides. To this group of fifteen cases we add another in which the patient was admitted to the pediatric ward of