Hernias
Hernias are protrusions of a tissue, or an organ, outside its normal position. When these occur in the groin some abdominal contents, usually a part of the small intestine, bulges either directly through the muscle of the abdominal wall (and therefore called a direct hernia) or more commonly down the canal, called the inguinal canal, which is the path taken by the in the male by the testicles on their journey into the scrotum, and in the female is occupied by a structure called the round ligament. The round ligament runs from the uterus into the labia. A hernia that follows this path is called an indirect inguinal hernia, because it does not pass directly through the wall. At birth, particularly in the premature infant, the canal may be open (a condition called persistent processus vaginalis) and abdominal contents can pass down it. Increasing abdominal pressure due, for example, to crying or coughing, can produce a bulge in the groin. These hernias can get stuck, causing pain and tenderness - surgery is required.
|
