Abstract
Inguinal hernia (IH) is one of the most common surgical conditions seen in pediatric age group and managed only surgically. Aim: The aim of our study was to investigate clinical characteristics of IH in children. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study based on medical charts carried out at a secondary hospital in southern region period between January 2013 and July 2019. We included all patients younger than 13 years and attend to pediatric surgery clinic and underwent to IH repair. Results: A total of 272 children were diagnosis with inguinal hernia repair, of them, 256 could be analyzed. Ages range from days to 12 years with mean age of 2.5 +/- 3.2 years old. Majority of the children were males (75%; 192). The most frequent signs and symptoms were Reducible swelling (76%) followed by irreducible swelling (12%), cough impulse (11%), swelling with crying (11%). Conclusion: In present study we found that an inguinal hernia with irreducible sac contents, tenderness, and obstruction was more among preterm young children with very low birth weight.