title: Strangulated umbilical hernias in children.
abstract: Umbilical hernia is a frequent pathology of the anterior abdominal wall in children. The hernia ring closes usually before 4 years, but a strangulation can occur. It is an exceptional complication according to the literature data. Since this complication is rare, we undertook a retrospective study of these strangulations in a 5-year period from January 1997 to December 2001 at Aristide Le Dantec hospital. We collected 41 cases that underwent emergency surgery operations for strangulated umbilical hernias, which represent about 15% of umbilical hernias operated during the same period. The age range was 8 months to 10 years and the average age was 14 months. All the children were examined within 24 h after the onset of the disease and the surgery was immediately performed. In five cases the bowel was necrosed and perforated and we performed a resection followed immediately by an anastomosis. In the follow up, two children presented wound infections and a hernia recurred in one child. There was no mortality. This study conducts us to question western reports which recommend conservative therapy for umbilical hernia in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, A. Le Dantec Hospital, Dakar, Sénégal. ibrahimafall@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fall
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanou
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ngom
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dieng
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sankalé
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ndoye
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006554:Hernia, Umbilical / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012675:Senegal / Q000453:epidemiology