Femoral hernia in childhood: review of 38 cases.

Femoral hernias rarely occur at any age, but are extremely rare in infancy. We present 38 cases of femoral hernia treated in our pediatric surgery department during the last 15 years. The number of patients who underwent surgery was high compared with other series reviewed. This might be due to the fact that these hernias were considered in the differential diagnosis of inguinal pathology in childhood. The preoperative diagnosis was correct in 22 cases (57. 8%). After surgical treatment no recurrence was reported.