Femoral hernia in children: How to avoid misdiagnosis?

Background: Femoral hernias are an uncommon groin pathology among pediatric patients. Therefore, they are frequently misdiagnosed. In the present study, we review our experience with this rare surgical entity during the past 25 years.

Methods: The medical records of 19 patients who underwent 22 femoral hernia repairs between January 1994 and December 2019 were retrospectively analysed.

Results: Patients' age ranged from 2 to 12 years (mean age was 5. 5 years) with an approximately equal sex ratio (10 girls/9 boys). There were three bilateral cases identified separately. They were discovered and managed at different times. All the children were referred with a groin lump, but the correct pre-operative diagnosis was made in only 13 cases (59%). In the remaining cases, four were identified intraoperatively following negative exploration for a supposed inguinal hernia. The other five were found to have a femoral hernia 1 month to 12 months after ipsilateral inguinal hernia repair. All patients underwent elective surgery. The femoral canal was closed using either Lytle or McVay procedure. Recurrence occurred in only one patient 2 months after initial repair.

Conclusion: Femoral hernias are often misdiagnosed. Pre-operative diagnosis can be obtained through careful clinical assessment. In equivocal cases, ultrasonography and laparoscopy could be useful. A correct pre-operative diagnosis will lead to suitable treatment, thus avoiding unnecessary reoperations and their related complications.