Pediatric hernias.

Indirect inguinal hernias, hydroceles, and umbilical hernias are extremely common in infancy and childhood. Less commonly encountered are femoral, direct inguinal, epigastric, and Spigelian hernias. Patient history and physical examination are usually sufficient for the diagnosis of a hernia. If the diagnosis is uncertain, ultrasound examination or herniograms are occasionally employed. Magnetic resonance imaging may be useful in diagnosing abdominal wall hernias in obese patients for whom physical examination is difficult.