Inguinal Hernia and Hydrocele
Inguinal hernia is the result of the failure of the processus vaginalis to close before birth and the patency is sustained by the abdominal pressure after birth.
A hydrocele is the accumulation of fluid within the course of the processus vaginalis.
Inguinal hernias may be present at birth or may appear at any age, thereafter, but is often detected before the age of two years. Commonly seen among premature children. Whereas, the hydrocele is common in early infancy and is frequently involving two sides.
In inguinal hernia, the most common presenting symptom is the presence of a mass in the inguinal region. Usually not painful, it is occasionally associated with irritability, nausea, or vomiting and pain. Incarceration is the most serious complication. In this case, the mass or swelling is irreducible. This is an emergency and needs immediate surgical management.
The most common diagnostic procedure that we do in the clinics if being presented with an infant with a mass in the inguinal area is to do transillumination. A hernial sac is often opaque to transmitted light, whereas a hydrocele is translucent. The inguinal hernia is reducible while the encysted hydrocele is not reducible. Though, sometimes, the coexistence of a communicating hydrocele and an inguinal hernia is common.
Most hydroceles disappear spontaneously in the first year of life; however, if the condition persists after the first year or it appears some time after birth then surgical removal is necessary.
So dear parents, the next time you see a bulging mass in your baby’s inguinal area, please see your pediatrician for thorough evaluation and proper management of the condition.