View article

Inguinal hernias are a common cause of groin pain. Most hernias are detectable by clinical examination and many patients proceed to hernia repair on the basis of history and examination findings alone. However, a significant proportion of patients with symptoms suggestive of groin hernia are found to have a normal clinical examination. Several radiological techniques have been developed to solve the dilemma posed by occult inguinal hernias. No systematic review or meta-analysis has addressed this common clinical problem.

A systematic review and meta-analysis were undertaken of relevant articles in Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane database. Studies were assessed using the QUADAS tool. Statistical analysis was undertaken.

We have shown in this meta-analysis that …