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Inguinal hernia in children is caused by an incomplete obliteration of the vaginal process during the embryological development. The vaginal process can thus become a hernia sac that often contains bowel and in girls, an ovary. The diagnosis of inguinal hernia is made by history and physical examination. According to current guidelines surgical repair should be performed without delay to avoid incarceration, which gives a high risk of complications, including testicular atrophy and ischemia of vital organs. However, patients are regularly not referred adequately. We present three cases of children who developed complications of a non-repaired inguinal hernia. Additionally, the data of all children with a congenital inguinal hernia, surgically treated from January 2018 until August 2019 show that out of 243 children 13.6% presented acutely with an incarcerated inguinal hernia. Another 6% received a wrong advice from their primary care doctor and was not referred to a (pediatric) surgeon. more...

Background: Congenital primary inguinal hernia is a common condition among children. Although much literature regarding inguinal hernia is available, large scale analysis are few, and rarely do they expand on gender difference or incarcerated hernias., Methods: Patients with unilateral or bilateral inguinal hernia who were admitted to our hospital and received open inguinal hernia repair (OIHR) or laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LIHR) under general anesthesia were included. LIHR was performed using single-site laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure (SLPEC). Medical records were retrospectively collected and analyzed., Results: A total of 12,190 patients were included in this study. The ratio of male to female was 4.8:1. There was a total of 10,646 unilateral hernias (87.3%) and 1544 bilateral hernias (12.7%), with a corresponding ratio of 6.9:1. 12,444 hernia repair surgeries, 11,083 (89.1%) OIHR and 1361 (10.9%) LIHR, were held. OIHR had a shorter operative time than LIHR for all unilateral and female bilateral repair, unlike for bilateral male repair. There was no difference between OIHR and LIHR for ipsilateral recurrent hernia in males. There was a difference between OIHR and LIHR for metachronous contralateral hernia. Incarcerated inguinal hernia was associated with longer operative time, hospital stay and higher hospital costs. Females and patients under 1 year were more likely to present with incarcerated hernia., Conclusions: OIHR should be considered for male patients, especially for unilateral and complete inguinal hernia. LIHR is highly recommended for female patients. For incarcerated hernia, attention should be paid to patients under 1 year old, as they can be 60 times more susceptible, and females. Surgeons should also be aware of ovary hernias in females. more...

Background: Transverse testicular ectopia (TTE) is a rare anomaly characterized by both testes descending through a single inguinal canal. In this report, the diagnosis of TTE was discovered in the event of an incarcerated congenital inguinal hernia in a neonate., Case Presentation: We present a case of TTE accompanied by persistent Müllerian duct structures (PMDS) that had been discovered incidentally during inguinal exploration of a 26-day-old boy who presented with an incarcerated congenital inguinal hernia on the right side and left cryptochidism on the left side. The pathogenesis, approach and proposed management of TTE are discussed., Conclusion: TTE is an extremely rare anomaly, especially in neonates, and should be suspected in patients presenting with inguinal hernia on one side and cryptorchidism on the other side. more...

Objectives: The groin is a complex anatomic region that has traditionally been ignored by radiologists because most lesions can be diagnosed from clinical data and physical examination. Nevertheless, ultrasound examinations of the groin are increasingly being requested to confirm injury or to resolve diagnostic uncertainty. On the other hand, some conditions involving the groin are found only in pediatric patients. This article describes the key imaging findings in pediatric groin injuries, placing special emphasis on the ultrasound appearance., Conclusions: Knowledge about conditions that can affect the groin in pediatric patients and the key imaging findings associated with them helps improve the diagnostic performance of ultrasound., (Copyright © 2020 SERAM. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.) more...

Background: Congenital inguinal hernia (CIH) is a commonly performed surgical procedure in infants and children. Single port laparoscopic hernia repair using percutaneous internal inguinal ring (IIR) suturing procedure is a widely employed technique for indirect inguinal hernia repair in children. The majority of extracorporeal techniques use extracorporeal knotting and burying the knot subcutaneously. This may result in many drawbacks. The aim of this multicenter study is to introduce a new technique for pediatric inguinal hernia repair using only needles without any laparoscopic instruments., Patients and Methods: This is a multicenter study which was conducted at Pediatric Surgical Departments of Al-Azhar, Mansoura, Alexandria and Tanta Universities during the period from January 2015 to June 2017. 314 patients with CIH underwent Needlescopic Assisted Internal Ring Suturing (NAIRS) after cauterization of the hernia sac at its neck. The main outcome measures were: feasibility, safety of the technique, operative time, recurrence rate, hydrocele and cosmetic results., Results: A total of 314 patients with CIH were corrected by NAIRS. They were 232 males and 82 females. The mean age was 28.12 ± 1.3 months (range 6-120 months). The mean operative time was 12.6 ± 1.7 min (range 8-15 min) for unilateral cases and 18.6 ± 1.7 min (range 14-20 min) for the bilateral repairs. All cases were completed laparoscopically without major intraoperative complications. No recurrence was detected in this study. No wound complications or umbilical hernias developed. Hydrocele occurred in five males (2.16%), without detection of testicular atrophy or iatrogenic ascent of the testis., Conclusion: This preliminary study showed that NAIRS after cauterization of the neck of the hernia sac in infants and children is safe, feasible, reproducible with excellent cosmetic results. more...

Background: Splenogonadal fusion (SGF) is a rare congenital malformation that occurs during embryonic development. SGF typically presents as a left-sided scrotal swelling, left inguinal hernia, scrotal mass, or cryptorchidism. Therefore, it is easily misdiagnosed, and unnecessary orchiectomy may occur. This study aimed to report a rare case of SGF., Case Presentation: A 5-month-old male child presented with a history of obvious left scrotal swelling for 1 month, which progressively worsened 10 h before the hospital visit. The ultrasound examination exhibited a solid mass in the left scrotum, with echo quite similar to that in the testicle and went up into the abdominal cavity through an identical echogenic band structure. After surgical resection, the pathological examination confirmed that the submitted tissue was spleen tissue with extensive bleeding., Conclusion: Ultrasound can provide important information regarding the diagnosis of SGF. The possibility of SGF should be considered for further differential diagnosis in the case of similar patients. more...

Background: Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most frequent operations in pediatric surgery and is increasingly performed laparoscopically. The latter introduced new momentum in the debate on the necessity of contralateral exploration, as the rates of contralateral patent processus vaginales and metachronous inguinal hernias determine whether a routine closure would be overtreatment or useful prevention., Materials and Methods: We searched MEDLINE via PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus at the 6th of September 2017; reference lists and CrossRef were snowballed for reports citing identified studies. Eligibility criteria were age <18 years, preoperative diagnosis of unilateral hernia, laparoscopic evaluation, and publication since January 2012. Studies using hernioscopy (transinguinal laparoscopy) were excluded. We reported our systematic review following PRISMA criteria., Results: We included 32 reports consisting of 19,188 pediatric patients diagnosed with unilateral inguinal hernia. Of these, 38.5% (95% confidence interval: 34%-43.1%) had a contralateral open processus vaginalis concomitantly found during laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. A secondary analysis using nine studies that compared open and laparoscopic approaches found that prophylactic closure of contralateral patent processus vaginales resulted in a risk difference of 5.7% (95% confidence interval: 3.6%-7.7%; P < 0.001) following 2691 (42.8%) procedures (nine studies: Ten of 6282 patients operated laparoscopically had a metachronous hernia, versus 286 of 5764 with open hernia repair)., Conclusions: Prophylactic closure of a contralateral patent processus vaginalis reduces the number of metachronous inguinal hernias, but about 18 procedures must be performed to prevent one metachronous inguinal hernia, indicating that the indication should be based on personal circumstances of the patient., (Copyright © 2019 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.) more...

Background: The desire of pediatric surgeon to reduce incision related morbidity and pain while achieving good cosmetic results has recently led to the introduction of single incision pediatric endosurgery [SIPES] and needlescopic surgery. Intracorporeal suturing and knot tying during SIPES remain challenging. The aim of this study is to introduce a novel and simple technique for intracorporeal suturing of the pediatric inguinal hernia after needlescopic disconnection of hernia sac using just needles rather than laparoscopic instruments. It is an imitation of the principles of sewing machine., Methods: The first author discussed the idea of the technique with the coauthors and a demonstration was done on a Silicon Pad before application of the technique on children with congenital inguinal hernia [CIH] for peritoneum closure after needlescopic disconnection of the hernia sac. The main outcome measures were feasibility of the technique, suturing and knotting time and recurrence rate., Results: The sutures were snugly applied to the ridges of Silicon Pad with good approximation and the knot was firmly tightened in all experiments. After applying and mastering the technique on a Silicon Pad, we shifted to use it on 373 children with 491 hernia defects. All operations were completed by the needlescopic technique without the need for insertion of any laparoscopic instruments. The time required for suturing of the peritoneum around internal inguinal ring [IIR] and knot tying, decreased considerably from 6 min 27 s in the first operation to less than 4 min after the fifth operation and stabilized at approximately 4 min 30 s. No major intraoperative complication. There was no recurrence during a mean follow-up period of 19.6 ± 1.2 months., Conclusion: The closure of the peritoneum around the IIR using needles mimicking what is happening in sewing machine suturing is a feasible, safe and effective line of treatment of children with CIH. The cosmetic results are 42 outstanding without any recurrence., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) more...

A 7-month-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat was referred for lethargy, stranguria, and a fluctuant mass of varying size in the right inguinal region. Computed tomographic imaging revealed the urinary bladder partially herniated through the right inguinal canal. Primary herniorrhaphy was performed and re-placement of the urinary bladder was confirmed via laparotomy. more...

Background: Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LIHR) is gaining popularity with more studies validating its feasibility, safety, and efficacy. The aim of this work is to review our experience with LIHR in infants and children during the past 15 years, and present and evaluate our innovations of laparoscopic techniques., Patients and Methods: A retrospective study of 1284 patients with congenital inguinal hernia (CIH) subjected to different techniques of LIHR from October 2000 to October 2015. The main outcome measurements included the following: operative time, hospital stay, hernia recurrence, hydrocele formation, testicular atrophy, iatrogenic ascent of the testis, and cosmetic results., Inclusion Criteria: All patients with CIH who were managed by LIHR during the period of study. They were bilateral cases, recurrent hernias, unilateral hernia in obese child, unilateral hernia with associated infantile umbilical hernia, and unilateral hernia with questionable contralateral side., Results: A total of 1284 patients with CIH were corrected with different laparoscopic procedures. They were 918 males and 366 females. The age range was variable from 6 to 78 months (mean 28.32 ± 24.46 months). All cases were completed laparoscopically without major intraoperative complications. Contralateral hernial defects were found in 294 patients (22.90%), a direct inguinal hernia (IH) was discovered in 15 patients (1.17%), and a femoral hernia was discovered in 3 patients (0.23%). Recurrence occurred in 9 boys (0.98%) who were among the early cases; however, in later group, no recurrence had been detected. Hydrocele occurred in 19 cases (males) (2.07%), without detection of testicular atrophy or iatrogenic ascent of the testis., Conclusion: Our results lead us to believe that LIHR by expert hands is safe and effective. It enables the surgeon to discover and repair contralateral hernia and all forms of IHs. One should be able to tailor a suitable technique for each case according to the resources and expertise. more...

The closure anomalies of the peritoneal-vaginal canal include several clinical entities, which are at the origin of various symptomatology., Objective: To study the anatomo-clinical and therapeutic aspects of pathologies of the peritoneal-vaginal canal., Materials and Method: This was a prospective study from January 1 st to December 31 st , 2015 carried out in the pediatric surgery department of University Hospital Gabriel Touré. It covered all children aged 0-15 years old with a pathology of the peritoneal-vaginal canal operating in the department during the study period. This study did not include cases that were not operated on or not seen during the study period., Results: During the study period, 2,699 children were treated in pediatric surgery, of which 150 cases of pathology of the peritoneal-vaginal canal had a hospital frequency of 5.5%. The average age was 3.25 ± 9.63 years. The sex ratio was 14. The reason for consultation was intermittent or permanent inguinal or inguino-scrotal swelling in all children. The pathology was discovered by the parents during the pushing efforts in 46.7%. Inguino-scrotal swelling was found on physical examination in 40% of cases. The right side was reached in 60% of the cases. Hernia accounted for 80.6% of these pathologies. We recorded 31 cases of strangulation and 11 cases of craze. Immediate operative follow-up was simple in 92% of patients. This rate was 96% after 6 months., Conclusion: Pathologies of the peritoneal-vaginal canal are very common in pediatric surgical practice. The first place of these pathologies is occupied by hernia. They preferentially affect male infants., (Le comitée de rédaction se réserve le droit de revoyer aux auteurs avant toute soumission à l'avis des lecteurs les manuscrits qui ne seraient pas conformes à ces modalités de présentation. En outre il leur conseille de sonserver un examplaire du manuscrit, des figures et des tableaux.) more...

Purpose: Indirect inguinal hernia related to the presence of a patent processus vaginalis (PPV) in adult is estimated to be around 15%. Most surgeons would favor a standard anterior hernioplasty to minimize the potential risk of damaging the spermatic cord structures that are always intimately fused to the congenital peritoneal sac. This also means overlooking the potential benefit of alternative posterior techniques such as endoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) repair that is known to offer faster recovery with reduced risk of developing chronic groin pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of TEP approach for repair of adult inguinoscrotal hernias associated with completely PPV and to compare those results with a corresponding group of male patients undergoing an identical procedure, but with no demonstrated PPV., Methods: This is a prospective study of consecutive male patients diagnosed with inguinal hernia during a 10-year period and eligible for endoscopic TEP repair. Every recognized completely PPV were systematically divided taking care not to damage the attached cord structures and the proximal end closed with a pre-tied Endoloop of PDS. In both groups, all meshes were secured with fibrin sealant only. Patients were reviewed in clinic 2 and 6 weeks after the operation. Further follow-up was scheduled if deemed necessary. The primary post-operative outcome parameter was spermatic cord injury; secondary outcome parameters included groin pain, surgical complications, and recurrence., Results: Nine hundred and thirty-nine hernia repairs were prospectively recorded during this period. All procedures were carried out endoscopically. A total of 41 patients with a median age of 27 years presented with 43 inguinoscrotal hernias (two bilateral) related to the presence of a congenital completely PPV. 72% of them were right-sided. No injury to the cord structures was recorded and only one complication (2.4%) occurred at 1 week post-operatively that was unrelated to the PPV. There was no report of chronic groin or testicular pain, symptomatic seroma formation, or hernia recurrence. By comparison, out of the 608 patients representing the no PPV group, there were 35 complications out of 33 patients (5.4%), one of those requiring subsequent laparoscopic revision. Only one early post-operative recurrence was recorded in this group (0.15%)., Conclusions: In the presence of a completely PPV, the recognized benefit of a posterior approach, such as endoscopic TEP inguinal hernia repair, outweighs the theoretical risk of damaging the spermatic cord structures when dissecting and dividing the congenital hernia sac. This technique should be the preferred option among expert laparoscopic surgeons. more...

Indirect inguinal hernia is one of the most common congenital anomalies in children, with a reported prevalence of 0.8-4.4%.1 About 15-20% of hernias in female infants contain ovary, and in rare cases a fallopian tube.2 However, only a few cases contain the uterus and both ovaries in the hernia sac.3 The normal anatomy is altered when an ovary is trapped in a hernia sac, and these changes make torsion more likely and increase the risk of infertility. Although an irreducible ovary is not at great risk of compression of its blood supply, in these occurrences, ovarian torsions have been reported in 2%-33%, emphasizing the importance of early surgical repair in irreducible hernias, even in asymptomatic patients.4 The presentation of an asymptomatic palpable movable mass over the labium major always suggests sliding hernia with ovary. To our knowledge, only a few reports of hernia sac containing uterus, fallopian tube, and ovary in a female patient have appeared in the literature. We suggest that sonography be performed routinely in female infants with an inguinal hernia containing a palpable movable mass. We present a rare case of premature female infant with a labial mass containing the uterus, both ovaries, and fallopian tubes. more...

History A 52-year-old man with a history of urinary tract infections and a previous clinical diagnosis of left inguinal hernia presented to the nephrologist with recent onset of dysuria and increasing swelling in the left inguinoscrotal region in the absence of fever or scrotal trauma. There was no relevant surgical or family history. The general physical examination findings were unremarkable, with a normal abdomen at both visual inspection and palpation; urogenital examination revealed a small left-sided palpable mass of the testis, compatible with an inguinal hernia or hydrocele. At first, gray-scale and color Doppler ultrasonographic (US) images of the testes and the inguinoscrotal region were obtained. Contrast material-enhanced computed tomographic (CT) images of the lower abdomen and pelvis were then obtained to further evaluate the urinary tract. more...

Background: Repair of congenital groin hernia/hydrocele is the most common surgical procedure performed by paediatric surgeons. There is dearth of literature comparing the outcomes of open herniotomy in children using various surgical approaches. This study was aimed at evaluating the efficacy of open herniotomy by comparing external ring incision, hernial sac twisting and whether or not double ligation has benefit over a single suture application., Materials and Methods: A multi-centre prospective randomised clinical trial was conducted with a total of 428 patients having congenital inguinal hernia and/or hydrocele. Patients were randomly assigned into four groups: RO (had external ring opened, hernial sac twisted and doubly ligated), ST (had hernial sac twisted and doubly ligated without opening the ring), DL (had double ligation of hernial sac without ring opening nor twisted) while SL (had single ligation of hernial sac with neither ring opening nor sac twisting)., Results: A total of 458 repairs were done. Patients' age ranged from 0.25 years (3 months) to 21 years in group RO with mean of 4.87 × 4.07 (median, 4), 0.069 years (24 days) to 17 years in group ST with mean of 4.23 × 4.03 (median, 3), 0.5 years (6 months) to 16 years in group DL with mean of 4.59 × 3.87 (median, 4) and 1 year to 19 years in group SL with mean of 5.00 × 4.19 (median, 4). Operation time per repair was 26.50 × 5.46 min, range 16-40 min (median, 27 min) in group RO, 22.18 × 5.34 min, range 12-39 min (median, 21 min) in group ST while 17.98 × 3.40 min with range of 12-39 min (median, 17 min) in group DL and 15.27 × 4.18 min, range 7-40 min (median, 15 min) in group SL P < 0.0001. The mean paracetamol dose/patient was 3.96 × 1.43, 2.94 × 0.81, 2.18 × 0.69, 1.87 × 0.78 in group RO, ST, DL and SL, respectively, P < 0.0001., Conclusion: Congenital inguinal hernia repair with opening of the external ring, hernia sac twisting and double ligation of the processus vaginalis confers no advantage. more...

Background: Surgically treatable diseases contribute approximately 11% of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) worldwide yet they remain a neglected public health priority in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Pediatric inguinal hernia is the most common congenital abnormality in newborns and a major cause of morbidity and mortality yet elective repair remains largely unavailable in LMICs. This study is aimed to determine the costs and cost-effectiveness of pediatric inguinal hernia repair (PIHR) in a low-resource setting., Methods: Medical costs of consecutive elective PIHRs were recorded prospectively at two centers in Uganda. Decision modeling was used to compare two different treatment scenarios (adoption of PIHR and non-adoption) from a provider perspective. A Markov model was constructed to estimate health outcomes under each scenario. The robustness of the cost-effectiveness results in the base case analysis was tested in one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome of interest was cost per DALY averted by the intervention., Results: Sixty-nine PIHRs were performed in 65 children (mean age 3.6 years). Mean cost per procedure was $86.68 US (95% CI 83.1-90.2 USD) and averted an average of 5.7 DALYs each. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $12.41 per DALY averted. The probability of cost-effectiveness was 95% at a cost-effectiveness threshold of $35 per averted DALY. Results were robust to sensitivity analysis under all considered scenarios., Conclusion: Elective PIHR is highly cost-effective for the treatment and prevention of complications of hernia disease even in low-resource settings. PIHR should be prioritized in LMICs alongside other cost-effective interventions. more...

Background: There are various methods for surgical treatment of hernia and hydrocele in children with variable cost-effectiveness, recovery and cosmetic outcomes. This study analyses our experience with mini-incision/invasive herniotomy in children in resource-limited centre., Materials and Methods: Seven hundred and eighty-four n = 784 patients underwent herniotomy via conventional and mini-invasive methods were assigned into Group A and Group B. Three hundred and seventy-six n = 376 (47.95%) in Group A while four hundred and eight n = 408 (52.04%) in Group B. Eight hundred and seventeen (817) herniotomy was performed. Demographic data, hernia/hydrocele sides, volume of surgical suture used, surgery duration, and complications analysed., Results: Right side hernia and/or hydrocele were 464 (59.18%). 287 (36.60%) had left sided while 33 (4.21%) had bilateral hernia and/or hydrocele. There were 14 bilateral hernia repair in Group A and 19 in Group B. The lengths of operation time for unilateral repair ranged from 14 to 54 min in Group A (median, 23 min) and 7-44 min in Group B (median, 15 min) with a mean surgical duration of 15.48 ± 4.16 min in Group B versus 23.41 ± 5.94 min in Group A (P < 0.001) while the range of the lengths of operation time for bilateral repair in Group A was 20-54 min (median, 36) and 12-30 min (median, 21) in Group B with a mean duration of 36.35 ± 9.89 min in Group A versus 20.42 ± 4.83 min in Group B P = 0.00563. 376 sachets of 45 cm suture material were used in Group A versus 137 in Group B. There were total of 87 (23.13%) complications in Group A versus 3 (1.47%) in Group B P = 0.000513. Superficial wound infection and abscess were 9 (2.36%) and 16 (4.25%) in Group A versus none (0) in Group B., Conclusion: Mini-incision/invasive herniotomy in children and adolescents is fast, cost-effective with satisfactory cosmetic outcome and limited complications. more...

Background: Nigeria, with a population of >150 million people in which half of the population are children encounters challenges in paediatric surgery practice in rural areas. There are paediatric surgeons in Nigeria, but majority practice in tertiary health facilities in cities. The poor rural dwellers have little or no access to such highly trained specialists. Hence, children with congenital and acquired paediatric surgical pathologies including anterior abdominal wall defects not only grow up with these diseases to adulthood, they are also exposed to various health hazards posed by unqualified personnel. Therefore, we are evaluating the burden of congenital inguinal hernia/hydrocele in northern and southern Nigeria for awareness creation and the way forward., Materials and Methods: Data obtained from organised free hernia missions to the rural populace from northern and southern Nigeria by the West African Collage of Surgeons in 2010 and Kano State Government in 2013 was analysed., Results: A total of 811 patients aged from 3 months (0.25 years) to 35 years was screened and found to have congenital hernia and/or hydrocele from the two centres. 171 (21.1%) were successfully operated, while the remaining 640 (78.9%) could not benefit from a surgical procedure during the missions. There were n = 46 (26.9%) patients with various forms of genital mutilations/and or surgical mismanagements among the operated patients., Conclusion: The burden of congenital anterior abdominal wall defects among Nigerian children is high. A little effort could bring succor and create awareness among this group of people. more...

Purpose: To describe the epidemiological, anatomico-clinical and therapeutic aspects of the patent vaginoperitoneal canal (PVPC) in urological practice and to compare our results with those of pediatric teams., Patients and Methods: We performed a retrospective descriptive study of PVPC cases operated in a urology unit. The following parameters were studied: medical history, age, method of installation, the anatomo-clinical type, side and the results of the treatment., Results: A total of 163 cases were collected over a period of 5 years. The average age was 7.5 ± 7 years with a range of 2 months and 39 years. Thirty-four patients had less than or equal to age 2 ears and 28 patients were adults. The reason for consultation was an inguinal or scrotal inguinal, painless and intermittent swelling in 72.3% of cases. Installation mode was progressive in 45 patients (27.6%). The PVPC was sitting right in 81 patients (49.7%) and was bilateral in 12 patients (7.3%). The anatomo-clinical types were dominated by the communicating hydrocele (52%). The treatment was carried out in controlled surgery in all patients and the mean duration of hospitalization was 24 hours. The postoperative course was marked by 5 cases of scrotal hematoma and 2 cases of parietal suppuration. Postoperative mortality was zero. After a mean postoperative decrease of 2 years we observed 3 cases of testicular atrophy and two recurrences., Conclusion: Our results in terms of morbidity and mortality although satisfactory were lower than those of pediatric teams., Level of Evidence: 5., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.) more...

Crossed testicular ectopia or transverse testicular ectopia is an extremely rare anomaly characterised by migration of one testis towards the opposite inguinal canal, usually associated with unilateral inguinal hernia. This report describes six cases of crossed ectopic testes, one of the largest series, and with unusual clinical histories. more...

Splenogonadal fusion is a rare congenital anomaly. We present the case of a 6-year-old boy who presented with a left inguinoscrotal swelling. With a clinical diagnosis of left congenital inguinal hernia the patient was taken up for explorative laparotomy where a transperitoneal band was noted adherent to the left testis. Biopsy revealed normal splenic tissue. Postoperatively the boy was imaged and a diagnosis of splenogonadal fusion was made. This article illustrates the imaging features of this rare anomaly. more...

The ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric (IG-IH) nerve block provides effective opioid-sparing analgesia for inguinal surgeries. The technique is especially useful in apnoea-prone premature neonates with sacral anomalies and coagulopathy. A recent retrospective review of 82 ex-premature neonates who underwent inguinal herniotomy at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, reported a success rate of 89% for landmark-guided IG-IH blocks. All blocks in that study were performed by senior paediatric anaesthetists using the landmark-based technique, which relies on fascial clicks. The IG-IH block is expected to be technically more difficult in neonates. There is also a stronger need to ensure success in these patients in order to avoid the use of opioids and reduce the risk of postoperative apnoea. Ultrasonographic guidance has been reported to improve the success of IG-IH blocks in older children to up to 94%. Herein, we report a series of six ex-premature neonates in whom ultrasonography-guided IG-IH blocks were successfully performed using reduced volumes of local anaesthetics (mean volume 0.17 mL/kg) for inguinal herniotomy. more...

Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II (Hunter syndrome) is a rare X-linked recessive storage disorder caused by deficiency of lysosomal enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase, causing excess accumulation of glycosaminoglycans in the lysosomes resulting in cellular damage, organ failure and death. Severe subtype develops characteristic clinical features and cognitive impairment early and die in second decade of life. In a resource poor setting, we report a case of Hunter syndrome, severe subtype, based on global development delay, coarse facies, short stature, hepatosplenomegaly and dysostosis multiplex on X-ray with unusual large congenital inguinal hernia. The diagnosis was important because of risk of recurrence of hernia after repair. more...

Purpose: The aim of this study was to clarify the incidence of postoperative complications in infants undergoing laparoscopic hernia repair within the first six months of life., Methods: Retrospective, single-institution study comparing term and preterm babies undergoing surgery between March 2005 and September 2012. The charts were reviewed for postoperative complications and pre-existing diseases., Results: In the term group 188 of 199 babies (94.5%) had an uneventful postoperative course. Eleven patients (5.5%) presented postoperative complications, three of them (1.5%) developed severe respiratory complications. A relation between pre-existing diseases and postoperative complications could be identified in two patients. Laparoscopy possibly induced cardiorespiratory instability in one infant. In the preterm group 109 of 137 babies (79.6%) had an uneventful postoperative course. 28 preterm infants (20.4%) developed postoperative complications, seven of them (5.1%) presented severe respiratory complications. Pre-existing diseases were identified as an influencing factor in 22 preterm infants. In one patient laparoscopy possibly caused minor instability of a pre-existing cardiac anomaly., Conclusions: Postoperative complications are low in both groups, although the incidence is increased in preterm infants. Pre-existing diseases are a major influencing factor for preterm infants. In very few infants laparoscopy may have induced instability of cardiac anomalies., (© 2013.) more...

Background: Groin hernia has been proposed to be hereditary; however, a clear hereditary pattern has not been established yet. The purpose of this review was to analyze studies evaluating family history and inheritance patterns and to investigate the possible heredity of groin hernias., Methods: A literature search in the MEDLINE and Embase databases was performed with the following search terms: genetics, heredity, multifactorial inheritance, inheritance patterns, sibling relations, family relations, and abdominal hernia. Only English human clinical or register-based studies describing the inheritance of groin hernias, family history of groin hernias, or familial accumulation of groin hernias were included., Results: Eleven studies evaluating 37,166 persons were included. The overall findings were that a family history of inguinal hernia was a significant risk factor for the development of a primary hernia. A family history of inguinal hernia showed a tendency toward increased hernia recurrence rate and significantly earlier recurrence. The included studies did not agree on the possible inheritance patterns differing between polygenic inheritance, autosomal dominant inheritance, and multifactorial inheritance. Furthermore, the studies did not agree on the degree of penetrance., Conclusion: The literature on the inheritance of groin hernias indicates that groin hernia is most likely an inherited disease; however, neither the extent of familial accumulation nor a clear inheritance pattern has yet been found. In order to establish whether groin hernias are accumulated in certain families and to what extent, large register studies based on hernia repair data or clinical examinations are needed. Groin hernia repair (inguinal and femoral hernia) is among the most commonly performed gastrointestinal surgical procedures [1]. Emergency groin hernia surgery is associated with increased mortality, increased patient-related morbidity, and increased hospital stay compared with elective groin hernia procedures [2, 3]. Identifying patients at high risk of developing groin hernia would therefore provide the possibility of timely elective surgical intervention, thus reducing the rate of emergency procedures. It could also potentially make way for individualized surgical methods in the future. more...

This case report presents a fetal patient diagnosed in utero with a retroperitoneal lymphatic malformation by ultrasound and followed through gestation. At birth the child was noted to have a right inguinal hernia with two palpable testicles. Plan for partial resection and hernia repair with postoperative sclerotherapy was made. At the time of hernia repair, transverse testicular ectopia was diagnosed, and subsequent extraperitoneal transposition orchiopexy was performed following partial resection of the lymphatic malformation. Delayed sclerotherapy in combination with partial resection afforded definitive treatment of the residual lymphatic malformation as the patient demonstrates no recurrence over one year later. This is the first reported case to suggest a direct relationship between transverse testicular ectopia and a retroperitoneal lymphatic malformation., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) more...

Giant inguinoscrotal hernias are a rare entity seen largely in the adult population. Presentation in the child is more unusual, with only one case previously documented. As there is scant literature regarding these hernias in children, their management may be challenging. Here, we present the case of a newborn born with giant bilateral inguinal hernias complicated by in utero perforation and meconium peritonitis managed by laparoscopy and then laparotomy for repair. The case illustrates several points that may be useful for pediatric surgeons who may encounter this condition. more...

Background: Many studies show that congenital defects in infants conceived by assisted reproductive techniques (ART) are more than infants of normal conception (NC). The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of congenital anomalies in ART infants from Royan Institute and to compare congenital anomalies between two ART techniques. , Methods: In a cross-sectional descriptive study, 400 ART infants from Royan Institute who resided in Tehran were selected by non-random, consecutive sampling. Infants were examined twice (until 9 months of age) by a pediatrician. Infants' congenital anomalies were described by each body system or organ and type of ART. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 and Fisher's exact test., Results: The frequency of different organ involvement in the two examinations were: 40 (10%) skin, 25 (6.2%) urogenital system, 21 (5.2%) gastrointestinal tract, 13 (3.2%) visual, and 8 (2%) cardiovascular system. Major congenital defects in infants conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were hypospadiasis, inguinal hernia, patent ductus arteriosus plus ventricular septal defect (PDA + VSD), developmental dysplasia of the hip, lacrimal duct stenosis during the first year of life, hydronephrosis and urinary reflux over grade III, undescending testis, ureteropelvic junction stenosis, and torticoli., Conclusions: Two-thirds of ART infants had no defects. A total of 7% of IVF and ICSI infants had one of the major abovementioned congenital anomalies. This rate was higher than NC infants (2%-3%). There was no difference between the ICSI and IVF group. more...

A 13-month-old boy accidentally ingested a 5 cm dressmaker's pin. On presentation, the pin was in the duodenum and there was a right inguinal hernia. After 17 days, the pin failed to progress. At surgery, the sac contained appendix perforated by the pin. This is the first case in the literature. more...

This was a prospective study done at Nepal Medical College Teaching Hospital from July 2008 to June 2009 which covers our experience in inguinal herniotomy in children. Our study included 63inguinal hernia repairs in 61 children up to the age of 15 years. Out of 61 patients 2 had bilateral inguinal hernia and 59 had unilateral. Among 59 patients with unilateral hernias, 7 patients had emergency presentation. In children with unilateral hernias, it was found that it is more common at right side and regarding complication it is more common in emergency group. There were 5 recurrences and 5 wound infection among all patients. more...

Whereas inguinal hernias are commonly encountered in the neonatal population, giant hernias containing the entire small bowel and with complete inguinal floor disruption are significantly less common. These cases present clinical and technical challenges with the obliteration of normal anatomy and an attenuation of the expected abdominal domain. There is a scant literature available describing these hernias or their management in neonates. In this case report, we describe a neonate who presented with a giant unilateral inguinal scrotal hernia complicated by in utero perforation. This was managed by open herniorrhaphy, orchidopexy, and diagnostic laparoscopy., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) more...

Purpose: Laparoscopic hernia repair in infancy and childhood is still debatable. There are many techniques available for laparoscopic hernia repair in children. The objective of this study was to compare intracorporeal suturing and knotting with extracorporeal knotting for repair of congenital inguinal hernia in infants and children about operative time, recurrence rate, hydrocele formation, and postoperative cosmetic results. A randomized controlled study was carried out in the Pediatric Surgery Unit of Al-Azhar University Hospitals (Cairo, Egypt) over a 3-year period., Patients and Methods: One hundred fifty patients with congenital inguinal hernia were randomized into 2 equal groups (n = 75). Group A was subjected to intracorporeal purse string suture around the internal inguinal ring (IIR) using 2 needle holders. Group B was subjected to insertion of purse string suture around IIR using a Reverdin needle (RN) and extracorporeal knotting. Inclusion criteria included bilateral inguinal hernia, recurrent hernia, hernia in obese children, incarcerated hernia, and ipsilateral hernia with questionable hernia on the contralateral side. Exclusion criteria included unilateral inguinal hernia and hernia with undescended testicles. The main outcome measurements were operative time, length of hospital stay, postoperative hydrocele formation, recurrence rate, and cosmetic results., Results: There were no significant differences about age, sex, and mode of presentation between both groups. All cases were completed successfully without conversion. There were significant statistical differences in the operative time, recurrence rate, and cosmetic results between the studied groups, whereas there were no significant statistical differences in the hospital stay and postoperative hydrocele formation., Conclusion: Laparoscopic hernia repair by RN is an effective method of hernia repair in infants and children. It resulted in a marked reduction of operative time and excellent cosmetic results with low recurrence., (Published by Elsevier Inc.) more...

Amyand's hernia (AH) is the presence of a normal or inflamed vermiform appendix in an inguinal hernia sac. This condition is unusual in neonates and in infants, and it has not been described in premature twins. We present two 32-day-old biovular twins with a right AH, treated with sparing of the appendix and herniotomy. The correct management of AH is discussed via a brief review of the literature. more...

Inguinal hernia, undescended testicle and hydrocele are typical and frequent diseases in infants and children. The paediatric inguinal hernia is a congenital defect and the hernial sac usually passes the inguinal canal. In order to diagnose the inguinal hernia in infants the physician is frequently dependent on the accurate observation of the parents. Although laparoscopic herniotomia is increasingly being discussed, it cannot be recommended yet as a standard operation because of a recurrence rate of 4%. Undescended testicle is classified into several subtypes with specific diagnostics and therapies. The role of hormonal therapy is currently controversial again, but the literature seems to point to a positive role for fertility in adulthood. The appropriate therapy should be performed by the end of the first year of life. A hydrocele is no acute reason for operative therapy; normally one can wait until the 2nd-4th year of life for spontaneous regression except for very large forms. more...

Inguinal hernia is a common problem among children, and herniotomy has been its standard of care. Laparoscopy, which gained a toehold initially in the management of pediatric inguinal hernia (PIH), has managed to steer world opinion against routine contralateral groin exploration by precise detection of contralateral patencies. Besides detection, its ability to repair simultaneously all forms of inguinal hernias (indirect, direct, combined, recurrent, and incarcerated) together with contralateral patencies has cemented its role as a viable alternative to conventional repair. Numerous minimally invasive techniques for addressing PIH have mushroomed in the past two decades. These techniques vary considerably in their approaches to the internal ring (intraperitoneal, extraperitoneal), use of ports (three, two, one), endoscopic instruments (two, one, or none), sutures (absorbable, nonabsorbable), and techniques of knotting (intracorporeal, extracorporeal). In addition to the surgeons' experience and the merits/limitations of individual techniques, it is the nature of the defect that should govern the choice of technique. The emerging techniques show a trend toward increasing use of extracorporeal knotting and diminishing use of working ports and endoscopic instruments. These favor wider adoption of minimal access surgery in addressing PIH by surgeons, irrespective of their laparoscopic skills and experience. Growing experience, wider adoption, decreasing complications, and increasing advantages favor emergence of minimal access surgery as the gold standard for the treatment of PIH in the future. This article comprehensively reviews the laparoscopic techniques of addressing PIH. more...

Donnai-Barrow syndrome [Faciooculoacousticorenal (FOAR) syndrome; DBS/FOAR] is a rare autosomal recessive disorder resulting from mutations in the LRP2 gene located on chromosome 2q31.1. We report a unique DBS/FOAR patient homozygous for a 4-bp LRP2 deletion secondary to paternal uniparental isodisomy for chromosome 2. The propositus inherited the mutation from his heterozygous carrier father, whereas the mother carried only wild-type LRP2 alleles. This is the first case of DBS/FOAR resulting from uniparental disomy (UPD) and the fourth published case of any paternal UPD 2 ascertained through unmasking of an autosomal recessive disorder. The absence of clinical symptoms above and beyond the classical phenotype in this and the other disorders suggests that paternal chromosome 2 is unlikely to contain imprinted genes notably affecting either growth or development. This report highlights the importance of parental genotyping in order to give accurate genetic counseling for autosomal recessive disorders., (2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.) more...

A 10-month-old male infant presented with bilateral inguinal hernia and left un-descended testis. During right herniotomy, both gonads were found on same side with mullerian duct structures. On naked eye examination, both gonads were normal looking. Excision of mullerian duct remnant and fixation of ectopic testis was made. Histopathological examination revealed that gonads were testicles. Presence of multiple granulomas composed of Langhans cells and epithelioid cells in ectopic testicle suggested tuberculosis. Patient was kept on antituberculous therapy and was on regular follow-up without any complication. more...

Background: The finding of persistent mullerian duct syndrome (PMDS) with transverse testicular ectopia (TTE) is rare. We present nonidentical triplets with PMDS with TTE., Cases: Triplet A presented with a right inguinal hernia and left nonpalpable testis at 4 months of age. Ultrasound demonstrated 1 testis in the right hemiscrotum. Laparoscopy revealed both testes in the right inguinal canal with a thick midline structure. Triplet B presented at 6 months of age in the exact manner with similar intraoperative findings as triplet A. No additional mullerian structures were identified in triplets A and B. Both underwent laparoscopic left orchiopexy and open right inguinal herniorraphy/orchiopexy. A portion of vas was noted in the path specimen of triplet B. Triplet C presented at 7 months of age with a nonpalpable left testis. Laparoscopy demonstrated bilateral fallopian tubes and a midline uterine remnant. Open bilateral orchiopexy was performed, and bilateral biopsies confirmed testes. All 3 were 46-X,Y., Conclusion: Persistent mullerian duct syndrome with TTE may be encountered when performing laparoscopy for patients with nonpalpable testis. The persistent mullerian remnants vary among individuals and alter the normal anatomy, thus may complicate diagnosis and surgical management. more...

Objectives: Laparoscopic treatment of inguinal hernias in children remains controversial. The inguinal approach is the only recommended procedure nowadays. The aim of our series was to precise the results of this technique and its advantages., Population and Methods: We report our preliminary experience in laparoscopy for inguinal hernias in 212 children., Results: Laparoscopy allowed us to discover 26 controlateral hernias not previously diagnosed, 3 direct hernias with 1 of them associated with a patent process vaginalis, 2 femoral hernias associated with a patent process vaginalis, 1 double pouch hernia and 1 volvulus of a cyst developed from a patent process vaginalis. In case of recurrence after an inguinal approach, laparoscopy seemed to be helpful to evaluate the anatomical lesion. We observed only 1 recurrence., Discussion: Indications for laparoscopy in case of inguinal hernia in children are reviewed and discussed in the literature. Laparoscopic diagnosis for a precise diagnosis is no more discussed. Various techniques were proposed in case of laparoscopic treatment of inguinal hernias in children: most of surgeons realized only a suture of the sac. We prefer to dissect all the sac in order to avoid any recurrence. Advantages of laparoscopic approach become more obvious after the age of 2 years when the opening of the parietal wall is required in case of an inguinal approach and when local anaesthesia is no more recommended. The opportunity to diagnose a bilateral hernia when non diagnosed before surgery or to discover a femoral or a direct hernia, or in case of recurrence after an inguinal approach, the atraumatic dissection of the vas and spermatic vessels at the level of the internal inguinal ring, are the main advantages for laparoscopy. more...

Abnormal persistence of the processus vaginalis in children predisposes to a complication that is strangulated inguinal hernia. The inguinal hernia is a frequent pathology because global incidence varies from 0,8 to 4,4% for children of any age and reaches about 30% in premature children. Strangulated inguinal hernia is rare (from 1,5 to 8%) and constitutes a surgical emergency. More frequently, reduction following sedation is possible (from 25 to 33%), and normally leads to delayed surgery. Current practice is to operate early in these children, including preterm infants, before any complication arises. This early surgery requires use of regional anaesthetic techniques such as spinal anaesthesia, ileo-inguinal ileohypogastric nerve blocks and caudal anaesthesia. However, although this pathology may appear to be routine commonplace it requires a specialized surgical and anaesthetic approach and specialized environment. more...

A unique case with fully developed testes and epididymis on the same side has been presented. The hypothesis to explain such a rare occurrence is a failure of the development of one-sided gubernaculums coupled with intra-abdominal adhesions of both the cords resulting in unilateral descent of both the testes. In females, the Mullerian ducts fuse to form the uterus; such a phenomenon in the case of Wolffian ducts is an impossibility, but fusion of vasa deferens and cords in this case point to such a happening. more...