inguinal hernia

hernia /her·nia/ (her´ne-ah) [L.] protrusion of a portion of an organ or tissue through an abnormal opening.her´nial

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abdominal hernia  one through the abdominal wall, either a congenital defect or a complication of pregnancy or a surgical incision.

Barth hernia  one between the serosa of the abdominal wall and that of a persistent vitelline duct.

Béclard's hernia  femoral hernia at the saphenous opening.

Bochdalek hernia  congenital diaphragmatic hernia through the pleuroperitoneal hiatus.

cerebral hernia  protrusion of brain substance through the cranium.

Cloquet's hernia  pectineal h.

complete hernia  one in which the sac and its contents have passed through the hernial orifice.

congenital diaphragmatic hernia  one due to failure of a foramen in the fetal diaphragm to close when the infant is born; abdominal viscera in the thoracic cavity may cause fatal respiratory failure.

diaphragmatic hernia  hernia through the diaphragm.

diverticular hernia  protrusion of a congenital diverticulum of the intestine.

epigastric hernia  a hernia through the linea alba above the navel.

extrasaccular hernia  sliding h.

fat hernia  hernial protrusion of peritoneal fat through the abdominal wall.

femoral hernia  protrusion of a loop of intestine into the femoral canal.

gastroesophageal hernia  paraesophageal h.

Hesselbach's hernia  femoral hernia with a pouch through the cribriform fascia.

hiatal hernia , hiatus hernia protrusion of any structure through the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm.

Holthouse's hernia  an inguinal hernia that has turned outward into the groin.

incarcerated hernia  a hernia so occluded that it cannot be returned by manipulation; it may or may not be strangulated.

incisional hernia  one through an old abdominal incision.

inguinal hernia  hernia into the inguinal canal.

intermuscular hernia , interparietal hernia an interstitial hernia lying between one or another of the fascial or muscular planes of the abdomen.

interstitial hernia  one in which a knuckle of intestine lies between two layers of the abdominal wall.

intra-abdominal hernia  congenital malpositioning of the intestine within the abdomen, with a portion of it protruding through a defect in the peritoneum or being trapped in a sac of peritoneum.

ischiatic hernia  sciatic h.

labial hernia  one into a labium majus.

mesocolic hernia  paraduodenal h.

obturator hernia  one protruding through the obturator foramen.

omental hernia  an abdominal hernia containing omentum.

ovarian hernia  hernial protrusion of an ovary.

paraduodenal hernia  an intra-abdominal hernia in which the small intestine rotates incompletely during development and becomes trapped in the mesentery of the colon.

paraesophageal hernia  hiatal hernia in which the esophagogastric junction is in place and a small or large part of the stomach protrudes into the thorax.

pectineal hernia  a femoral hernia that enters the femoral canal and then perforates the aponeurosis of the pectineus muscle.

perineal hernia  herniation of intestine into the perineum through a fissure in the levator muscle and its fascia.

preperitoneal hernia , properitoneal hernia an interstitial hernia lying between the parietal peritoneum and the transverse fascia.

reducible hernia  one that can be returned by manipulation.

retrograde hernia  herniation of two loops of intestine, with the part between them being within the abdominal wall.

Richter's hernia  incarcerated or strangulated hernia in which only part of the circumference of the bowel wall is involved.

sciatic hernia  herniation of intestine through the greater or lesser sciatic foramen.

scrotal hernia  inguinal hernia that has passed into the scrotum.

sliding hernia  hernia of the cecum (on the right) or the sigmoid colon (on the left) in which the intestinal wall forms part of the hernial sac and the rest of the sac is formed by parietal peritoneum.

sliding hiatal hernia  hiatal hernia with the upper stomach and the esophagogastric junction protruding into the posterior mediastinum; the protrusion may be fixed or intermittent and is partially covered by a peritoneal sac.

strangulated hernia  incarcerated hernia so tightly constricted as to compromise the blood supply of the hernial sac, leading to gangrene of the sac and its contents.

synovial hernia  protrusion of the inner lining membrane through the fibrous membrane of an articular capsule.

umbilical hernia  an abdominal hernia with intestine inside the umbilicus and the body wall defect and protruding intestine covered by skin and subcutaneous tissue.

hernia u´teri inguina´lis  see persistent müllerian duct syndrome, under syndrome.

vaginal hernia  vaginocele; a hernia into the vagina.

ventral hernia  abdominal h.

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inguinal hernia

n.

A hernia into the inguinal canal.

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inguinal hernia,

a hernia in which a loop of intestine enters the inguinal canal. In a male it sometimes fills the scrotal sac. An inguinal hernia is usually repaired surgically to prevent the herniated segment from becoming strangulated, gangrenous, or obstructive, thereby blocking passage of waste through the bowel. Of all hernias, 75% to 80% are inguinal hernias. See also hernia.

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hernia [her´ne-ah]

the abnormal protrusion of part of an organ or tissue through the structures normally containing it. adj., adj her´nial. A weak spot or other abnormal opening in a body wall permits part of the organ to bulge through. A hernia may develop in various parts of the body, most commonly in the region of the abdomen (abdominal hernia), and may be either acquired or congenital. An old popular term for hernia is rupture, but this term is misleading because it suggests tearing and nothing is torn in a hernia. Although various supports and trusses can be tried in an effort to contain the hernia, the best treatment for this condition is herniorrhaphy, surgical repair of the weakness in the muscle wall through which the hernia protrudes.

Bochdalek's hernia congenital posterolateral diaphragmatic hernia, with extrusion of bowel and other abdominal viscera into the thorax; due to failure of closure of the pleuroperitoneal hiatus.

cerebral hernia (hernia ce´rebri) protrusion of brain substance through a defect in the skull.

crural hernia femoral hernia.

diaphragmatic hernia see diaphragmatic hernia.

fat hernia hernial protrusion of peritoneal fat through the abdominal wall.

femoral hernia protrusion of a loop of intestine into the femoral canal, a tubular passageway that carries nerves and blood vessels to the thigh; this type occurs more often in women than in men. Called also crural hernia and femorocele.

hiatal hernia (hiatus hernia) protrusion of a structure, often a portion of the stomach, through the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm; see diaphragmatic hernia.

Holthouse's hernia an inguinal hernia that has turned outward into the groin.

incarcerated hernia a hernia so occluded that it cannot be returned by manipulation; it may or may not become strangulated. Called also irreducible hernia.

incisional hernia hernia after operation at the site of the surgical incision, owing to improper healing or to excessive strain on the healing tissue; such strain may be caused by excessive muscular effort, such as that involved in lifting or severe coughing, or by obesity, which creates additional pressure on the weakened area.

inguinal hernia hernia occurring in the groin, or inguen, where the abdominal folds of flesh meet the thighs. It is often the result of increased pressure within the abdomen, whether due to lifting, coughing, straining, or accident. Inguinal hernia accounts for about 75 per cent of all hernias.

A sac formed from the peritoneum and containing a portion of the intestine or omentum, or both, pushes either directly outward through the weakest point in the abdominal wall (direct hernia) or downward at an angle into the inguinal canal (indirect hernia). Indirect inguinal hernia (the common form) occurs more often in males because it follows the tract that develops when the testes descend into the scrotum before birth, and the hernia itself may descend into the scrotum. In the female, the hernia follows the course of the round ligament of the uterus.

Inguinal hernia begins usually as a small breakthrough. It may be hardly noticeable, appearing as a soft lump under the skin, no larger than a marble, and there may be little pain. As time passes, the pressure of the contents of the abdomen against the weak abdominal wall may increase the size of the opening and, accordingly, the size of the lump formed by the hernia. In the early stages, an inguinal hernia is usually reducible—it can be pushed gently back into its normal place. Inguinal hernia usually requires herniorrhaphy.

intra-abdominal hernia (intraperitoneal hernia) a congenital anomaly of intestinal positioning, occurring within the abdomen, in which a portion of bowel protrudes through a defect in the peritoneum or, as a result of abnormal rotation of the intestine during embryonic development, becomes trapped in a sac of peritoneum.

irreducible hernia incarcerated hernia.

mesocolic hernia an intra-abdominal hernia in which the small intestine rotates incompletely during development and becomes trapped within the mesentery of the colon.

Morgagni's hernia congenital retrosternal diaphragmatic hernia, with extrusion of tissue into the thorax through the foramen of Morgagni.

paraesophageal hernia hiatal hernia in which part or almost all of the stomach protrudes through the hiatus into the thorax to the left of the esophagus, with the gastroesophageal junction remaining in place.

Paraesophageal hernia. From Dorland's, 2000.

posterior vaginal hernia downward protrusion of the pouch of Douglas, with its intestinal contents, between the posterior vaginal wall and the rectum; called also enterocele. See illustration.

Posterior vaginal hernia. From McKinney et al., 2000.

reducible hernia one that can be returned by manipulation.

Richter's hernia incarcerated or strangulated hernia in which only a portion of the circumference of the bowel wall is involved.

rolling hernia paraesophageal hernia.

scrotal hernia an inguinal hernia that has passed into the scrotum.

sliding hernia hernia of the cecum (on the right) or the sigmoid colon (on the left) in which the wall of the viscus forms a portion of the hernial sac, the remainder of the sac being formed by the parietal peritoneum.

sliding hiatal hernia the most common type of diaphragmatic hernia; a hiatal hernia in which the upper stomach and the cardioesophageal junction protrude upward into the posterior mediastinum. The protrusion, which may be fixed or intermittent, is partially covered by a peritoneal sac.

Sliding hiatal hernia. From Dorland's, 2000.

slip hernia (slipped hernia) sliding hernia.

strangulated hernia one that is tightly constricted. As any hernia progresses and bulges out through the weak point in its containing wall, the opening in the wall tends to close behind it, forming a narrow neck. If the neck becomes pinched tight enough to cut off the blood supply, the hernia will quickly swell and become strangulated. This is a very dangerous condition that can appear suddenly and requires immediate surgical attention. Unless the blood supply is restored promptly, gangrene can set in and may cause death. If a hernia suddenly grows larger, becomes tense, and will not go back into place, and there is pain and nausea, it is strangulated. Occasionally, especially in the elderly, hernia strangulation may occur without pain or tenderness.

umbilical hernia see umbilical hernia.

vaginal hernia hernia into the vagina; called also colpocele.

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hernia (hur´nē),

n the protrusion of an organ through an abnormal opening in the muscle wall of the cavity that surrounds it. It may be congenital, may result from the failure of certain structures to close after birth, or may be acquired later in life because of obesity, muscular weakness, surgery, or illness.

hernia, hiatal,

n a protrusion of a portion of the stomach upward through the diaphragm. The condition occurs in approximately 40% of individuals and most people display few, if any, symptoms. The major difficulty is gastroesophageal reflux, which is the backflow of the acid contents of the stomach into the esophagus.

hernia, inguinal (direct),

n a protrusion of the intestines into an opening between the deep epigastric artery and the edge of the rectus muscle; (indirect) involves the internal inguinal ring and passes into the inguinal canal.

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inguinal

pertaining to the groin.

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inguinal abscess

characterized by a history of prior castration and a syndrome of unilateral edema, pain and swelling in the inguinal region, possibly confirmable by rectal palpation.

inguinal canal

the oblique passage in the ventral abdominal wall, through which passes the round ligament of the uterus in the female, and the spermatic cord in the male.

inguinal hernia

hernia occurring in the groin, or inguen, where the abdominal folds of flesh meet the thighs. Protrusion of intestine, omentum and occasionally a gravid uterus, either directly through a weak point in the abdominal wall (direct inguinal hernia) or downward into the inguinal canal (indirect inguinal hernia; called also scrotal hernia in the male). A serious complication is incarceration with or without strangulation of the herniated viscus. Most commonly seen in bitches; occasionally a heritable trait in dogs and may be inherited in pigs and cattle.

inguinal ring

there are two rings, one at the entrance and one at the exit of the inguinal canal. See also ring.

inguinal strangulation

see inguinal hernia.

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inguinal hernia

Surgery The prolapse of a loop of intestine into a patent inguinal canal