TY - JOUR
T1 - THE VALUE OF DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND FOR DETECTING OCCULT INGUINAL HERNIA IN PATIENTS WITH GROIN PAIN
AU - Damiano, Giuseppe
AU - Buscemi, Salvatore
AU - Tomasello, Giovanni
AU - Palumbo, Vincenzo Davide
AU - Buscemi, Giuseppe
AU - Lo Monte, Attilio Ignazio
AU - Sinagra, Emanuele
AU - Fazzotta, Salvatore
AU - Bruno, Antonio
AU - Tomasello, Giovanni
AU - Palumbo, Vincenzo Davide
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Aims: chronic groin pain caused by an occult hernia can be a difficult clinical diagnosis and may require additional investiga- tive modalities. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the accuracy of ultrasound in diagnosing occult hernia in patients with recurrent inguinal pain and a negative clinical examination.Patients and methods: over a period of three years, a total of 76 patients were referred for ultrasound examination with clini- cally suspected occult inguinal hernia. Patients with positive US scans were offered surgery, while those with negative US findings were offered further imaging or other diagnostic tests. The ultrasound examination of the inguinal region was conducted using a 5- 10 MHz linear probe. The scan was performed with the patient in the supine and erect positions, in a relaxed state, as well as during coughing and during a Valsalva manoeuvre.Results: overall, ultrasound diagnosed 31 inguinal hernias and all 31 patients with positive scans underwent surgery. Surgery confirmed the ultrasound diagnosis in 30 patients, having only 1/31 no hernia at operation (100% ultrasound sensitivity and 96.9% specificity). Patients undergoing surgery showed complete symptom resolution at a three-month follow-up.Conclusions: this study confirms that ultrasound is capable of accurately diagnosing groin hernia and this may justify its use in patients with chronic groin pain due to a suspected occult hernia
AB - Aims: chronic groin pain caused by an occult hernia can be a difficult clinical diagnosis and may require additional investiga- tive modalities. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the accuracy of ultrasound in diagnosing occult hernia in patients with recurrent inguinal pain and a negative clinical examination.Patients and methods: over a period of three years, a total of 76 patients were referred for ultrasound examination with clini- cally suspected occult inguinal hernia. Patients with positive US scans were offered surgery, while those with negative US findings were offered further imaging or other diagnostic tests. The ultrasound examination of the inguinal region was conducted using a 5- 10 MHz linear probe. The scan was performed with the patient in the supine and erect positions, in a relaxed state, as well as during coughing and during a Valsalva manoeuvre.Results: overall, ultrasound diagnosed 31 inguinal hernias and all 31 patients with positive scans underwent surgery. Surgery confirmed the ultrasound diagnosis in 30 patients, having only 1/31 no hernia at operation (100% ultrasound sensitivity and 96.9% specificity). Patients undergoing surgery showed complete symptom resolution at a three-month follow-up.Conclusions: this study confirms that ultrasound is capable of accurately diagnosing groin hernia and this may justify its use in patients with chronic groin pain due to a suspected occult hernia
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10447/90083
M3 - Article
VL - 30
SP - 493
EP - 496
JO - Acta Medica Mediterranea
JF - Acta Medica Mediterranea
SN - 0393-6384
ER -