External Herniae in Accra—Some Epidemiological Aspects

Abstract

A 2-year prospective study of patients reporting with external herniae in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, has shown that in this area inguinal hernia constituted about 92%, femoral hernia about 2%, infantile umbilical hernia and para-umbilical hernia about 4%, epigastric hernia and incisional hernia 1% each. In the female inguinal hernia comprised about 41%, infantile umbilical and para-umbilical hernia together 27%, epigastric hernia 11%, incisional hernia about 12% and femoral hernia about 9%. In the male, inguinal hernia comprised about 96%, femoral hernia about 1%, infantile umbilical 1*5% and para-umbilical epigastric and incisional hernia 1%. Although the relative proportion of inguinal hernia is subtantially the same as in British and American communities, that of femoral hernia is much lower, and that of infantile umbilical and para-umbilical hernia higher especially in women.