Surprises in operations on the inguinal area in young children.

In surgical operations in the inguinal area in infants and children many unusual pathologic states were observed that were at first thought to be simple hernia. Among the conditions observed, in addition to complicated hernias and other anomalies of the processus vaginalis, were male pseudo-hermaphroditism, ectopic spleen, ectopic adrenal with neuroblastoma, diverticulum of the bladder, inguinal adenitis and suppurative iliac adenitis. In light of the sometimes surprising contents of the hernia sac, good exposure and careful identification of all anatomic structures is mandatory.