Inguinal hernia

[Raeanne Dimick]

An inguinal hernia is a protrusion of a piece of intestine or another abdominal organ through an opening in the abdominal wall in the groin.

People have a painless bulge in the groin or scrotum.
Computed tomography or ultrasonography can be used for diagnosis.
Surgery is done if hernias are in women, cause symptoms, or become strangulated or incarcerated.

(See also Abdominal Wall Hernias.)
An inguinal hernia extends into the groin and can extend into the scrotum. They are more common among men. There are two types, direct and indirect, depending on exactly where the hernia occurs.
Other types of hernias (such as umbilical hernias and femoral hernias) occur at other locations. With an inguinal hernia, the opening in the abdominal wall can be present from birth (see Hernia in Children) or develop later in life.