PROPOSE: TO DETERMINE THE PREVALENCE OF INGUINAL HERNIA AND PENOSCROTAL ABNORMALITIES IN KHORRAM ABAD CITY, CENTER OF LORESTAN PROVINCE IN THE WEST OF IRAN, WE DESIGNED A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN ORDER TO INVESTIGATE THESE ABNORMALITIES.
METHODS & MATERIALS: WE STUDIED 3205 ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL BOYS AGED 6-12 YEARS. THEY UNDERWENT CLINICAL EXAMINATIONS OF THE GROIN AND GENITALIA IN EDUCATIONAL YEAR 2001-2002.
RESULTS: ABNORMALITIES WERE DETECTED IN 213 CHILDREN (6.64%). THE MOST FREQUENT ANOMALY WAS INDIRECT INGUINAL HERNIA, SEEN IN 78 CHILDREN (2.4%). THE OTHER ABNORMALITIES WERE RETRACTILE TESTES IN 39 BOYS (1.22%), UNDESCENDED TESTES IN 36 BOYS (1.12%), HYDROCELE IN 28 BOYS (0.87%), AND HYPOSPADIAS IN 25 BOYS (0.78%). ALSO THREE CHILDREN HAD MICROPENISES, TWO HAD EPISPADIAS, ONE BOY HAD VARICOCELE. AMBIGUOUS GENITALIA AND APENIA WERE NOT SEEN IN OUR STUDY. MOST OF THE PARENTS WERE NOT ALERT ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN'S ANOMALIES (60.1%).
DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION: EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC AND MEDICAL STAFF ABOUT THESE ABNORMALITIES AND SCREENING SYSTEM ARE NEEDED TO IMPROVE THE OUTCOME.