The role of ultrasound in the diagnosis of stitch granulomas following paediatric herniotomy

Objective. To study the role of US in the diagnosis of stitch granulomas following paediatric herniotomy. Materials and methods. A retrospective 10-year study of herniotomies performed by a paediatric surgical service. Results. Twenty children developed stitch granulomas following herniotomy. In all cases, silk sutures had been used in the repair. Masses appeared 1-10 years following surgery and were demonstrated by preoperative US in 17 patients, by CT alone in 1 patient and by both CT and US in 2 patients. Conclusions. US is an accurate and cost-effective method for evaluating stitch granulomas following herniotomy in children. The procedure is also valuable in marking the position of these foreign bodies prior to removal.