소아 대퇴탈장의 중요성

The Importance of Femoral Hernia in Children

Femoral hernia is very rare in children and is easily misdiagnosed. During a period of three years, three children with femoral hernia were treated by one pediatric surgeon at Severance Hospital. Only one case was diagnosed correctly before surgery, and the others were thought to be either an indirect inguinal hernia or groin mass. Curative hernioplasty (McVay hernioplasty) could be done in only one case at the time of first operation. Diagnosis of femoral hernia in children is a challenge because of rarity and similarity of clinical presentation to indirect inguinal hernia. Co-incidental findings of indirect inguinal hernia sac or patent processus vaginalis during surgery can perpetuate the misdiagnosis. In case of absence of expected indirect inguinal hernia or apparent recurrence of indirect inguinal hernia, one should consider the possibility of femoral hernia.