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7 It is 10 times more common in boys and also more common in infants born before 32 weeks gestation (13% prevalence) and infants weighing less than 1,000 grams at birth (30% prevalence). In children, the incidence ranges from 0.8 percent to 4.4 percent. 5 Recurrence occurs in approximately 1 percent to 5 percent of cases.
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3 Approximately 10 percent of cases are bilateral. 4 Approximately two-thirds of inguinal hernias are indirect, and one-third are direct. 3 The risk of inguinal hernia increases with age, and the annual incidence is around 50 percent by the age of 75. The lifetime rate of inguinal hernia is 25 percent in males and 2 percent in females. Some inguinal hernias, however, are asymptomatic. Symptoms include abdominal pain and a lump in the groin area, which is most easily palpable during a cough. Most inguinal hernias, however, are less dangerous, and elective surgery is often performed to correct the defect. 1 If the hernia is severe enough to restrict blood supply to the intestine, it is termed a strangulated hernia, and immediate corrective surgery is necessary. Direct hernias typically develop only in adulthood and are more likely to recur than indirect hernias. A direct inguinal hernia protrudes through the deep inguinal ring, whereas an indirect inguinal hernia protrudes through the internal inguinal ring and may descend through the inguinal canal. Background and Objectives for the Systematic Review Inguinal HerniaĪn inguinal hernia is a protrusion of abdominal contents into the inguinal canal through an abdominal wall defect.