TP7.2.6 Frequency of Obstructed Inguinal Hernia in Infants

Inguinal hernia in children is the result of the failure of obliteration of processus vaginalis or weakness of the abdominal wall. The incidence of inguinal hernia ranges from 0.8-5%. It is more common in preterm babies with an incidence of up to 30%.There is disagreement concerning the management of inguinal hernia in infants worldwide with few in favor of early repair of the hernia due to fear of incarceration while some are against it. This study was conducted to determine the frequency of intestinal obstruction in infants with an inguinal hernia for the development of a proper protocol for the management of inguinal hernias. Methods A total of 112 patients were included in the study. The patient’s gender and age were recorded. The presence of hernia was confirmed clinically and by performing an ultrasound. All the relevant data was recorded in a pre-designed printed proforma. Results In this study, 112 children were included. 73% of children were in the age between 1-6 months and 27% children were in age between 7-12 months. The mean age was 5 months ±5.87. Male children were 86% and female children were 14%. An obstructed inguinal hernia was observed in 11% of children while 89% of children didn’t have obstructed inguinal hernia. Conclusion Our study concludes that the frequency of incarcerated inguinal hernia was 11% in infants mostly occurring at a younger age and in male children.

Investigating the Diagnostic Value of Ultrasound in Determining the Opposite Inguinal Hernia in Children with Unilateral Inguinal Hernia Diagnosis

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate and compare the results of ultrasound and clinical examination in the diagnosis of inguinal hernia in children and also to evaluate the benefits and complications of ultrasound in these children. Study Design: This study, was performed by a cross-sectional method in Children's Medical Center Hospital during 2013-2014 years and follow up was done until July 2020 with the help of a questionnaire from 70 children who had been referred due to unilateral inguinal hernia symptoms. All 70 children underwent Ultrasonographic evaluation and the results of the ultrasound were compared with the initial clinical examination and then with surgery and follow up. Results: In 95.7% of cases, uni or bilateral inguinal hernia was correctly diagnosed by ultrasound. Ultrasound revealed 13.4% of cases were bilateral and 86.6% were unilateral, all of which were confirmed by surgery. In 17.1% of cases, although they were referred with the chief complaint and clinical examination of unilateral inguinal hernia, Bilateral diagnosis was made for them during the ultrasound, and during the surgery, 75% of them were confirmed to have bilateral inguinal hernia. Conclusion: Ultrasound is effective in diagnosing the opposite side of the hernia in cases with unilateral hernia.