Introduction:

Perineal hernias are exceptional and predominate widely in the female sex. They are classified into anterior or posterior, based on their location with respect to the transverse muscle of the perineum. Etiologically speaking, they can be primary (congenital or acquired), of which about 100 cases have been described, and secondary above all to previous operations (abdominoperineal resection).

Objective:

To update the knowledge about perineal hernias, due to the infrequent nature of this condition.

Methods:

A literature review was carried out in the articles about the topic and published in Pubmed, Hinari, SciELO and Medline using the Endnote information locator. We used 51 citations for the review, 41 of which belonged to the last five years. Three books and a citation by the author were included.

Conclusions:

Perineal hernias are extremely rare. There is little experience reported in the literature, so it is not yet possible to determine the best therapeutic form. They can be treated by an abdominal or perineal approach, or combined. The techniques used are: simple closure, transposition of muscle flaps, placement of meshes, and retro-flexion of the uterus or bladder to close the defect. Although there is not enough experience, laparoscopic surgery has been used in some cases and could be the gold standard in the future.

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