An Evaluation of the Diagnostic Potential of CT Scans and Herniography for Inguinal Hernias

Abstract

We evaluated and compared the diagnostic potential of computed tomography (CT) and herniography in the identification of inguinal hernias. Herniography is typically utilized in the diagnosis of inguinal hernias in our institute. We utilized transabdominal preperitoneal repair in the treatment of inguinal hernias since October 2010 and performed a laparoscopic diagnosis followed by single-incision laparoscopic surgery for totally extraperitoneal repair since November 2013. We herein evaluated and compared the diagnostic potential of CT and herniography. From February 2012 to March 2016, 46 patients (male/female: 43/3; median age: 70 years) with 63 inguinal hernias were investigated using CT and herniography. We classified each inguinal hernia according to the Japan Hernia Society classification using CT (prone position) and herniography, and evaluated the accuracy of each of the diagnostic methods. A total of 29 patients had unilateral hernias and 17 had bilateral hernias; 62% (39/63) and 84% (53/63) of the inguinal hernias were correctly diagnosed and classified by CT and herniography, respectively. A total of 87% (55/63) and 98% (62/63) of the inguinal hernias were detected by CT and herniography, respectively. Thus, herniography was found to be more sensitive than CT and the difference in the detectability of inguinal hernias by the 2 methods was statistically significant. Herniography appears to be superior to CT, for both the classification and detection of inguinal hernias.