Thoracolumbar hernia: a rare cause of back pain.

We report a case of a hernia through the thoracolumbar fascia in a young adult male who presented with pain and swelling in the thoracolumbar region. Surgical repair of the defect was performed in the superficial layer of the thoracolumbar fascia and, 18 months following surgery, he remained asymptomatic. The purpose of this report is to make clinicians aware of a thoracolumbar hernia as a rare cause of back pain.