External hernia in Nigerian children.
External hernias as seen in Nigeria constitute a major aspect of paediatric surgical practice. A review of 510 cases seen over a period of 10 years showed that, of those with inguinal hernia, 54% had right inguinal hernia (RIH), 35% left inguinal hernia (LIH), 9% bilateral inguinal hernia (BIH) and 2% hydroceles. There was a 4% incarceration rate which was, however, associated with a high (75%) strangulation rate. Thirty-one per cent of those who had contralateral groin dissection had patent processus vaginalis. This was age-dependent, ranging from 60% at 3 months to 28% at 1 year; only a half of these are likely to present with clinical hernia later in life. The incidence of umbilical hernia in the population is not known, but 35% of those who present for treatment do so because of obstruction/strangulation. Two patients had paraumbilical epigastric hernia and one a transverse incisional hernia in the left lower abdominal quadrant. On comparing our findings with Caucasian-based data, it was observed that Nigerian children had a lower female incidence of inguinal hernia, but a higher incidence of LIH, and that in them the processus vaginalis obliterated more often and at a faster rate than in Caucasians.
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D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006554:Hernia, Umbilical / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D006848:Testicular Hydrocele / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D044465:White People