Patient's question:
Yesterday, I was afraid my son would catch a cold while taking a bath, so I picked him up from the basin. My son got upset and started crying. I noticed that there was a lump the size of a chicken egg on the left side of his lower abdomen, but the lump disappeared. I once read in a book that this kind of phenomenon might be an inguinal hernia. Could you please tell me how to diagnose and check for pediatric hernias?Doctor's answer:
Based on the described situation, this may be related to inguinal in children, which is often caused by the failure of the processus vaginalis to close during the descent of the testis in the embryonic period. It can manifest in the neonatal period and is a congenital disease. For children with a history of a mass in the inguinal area or those who temporarily cannot be found with a mass in the inguinal area, infants and young children can be stimulated to cry or have pressure applied to their abdomen, while older children can be asked to cough, hold their breath, or perform activities like running and jumping, after which the mass can often be found and a definitive diagnosis can be made.