Inguinal Hernia: Examination

A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:

• General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; furthermore:
  • Inspection (viewing).
    • Skin and mucous membranes
    • Abdomen (abdomen)
      • Shape of the abdomen?
      • Skin color? Skin texture?
      • Efflorescences (skin changes)?
      • Pulsations? Bowel movements?
      • Visible vessels?
      • Scars? Hernias (fractures)?
  • Examination of the abdomen (abdomen)
    • Percussion (tapping) of the abdomen
      • Meteorism (flatulence): hypersonoric tapping sound.
      • Attenuation of tapping sound due to enlarged liver or spleen, tumor, urinary retention?
    • Palpation (palpation) of the abdomen (abdomen) (tenderness?, knocking pain?, coughing pain?, defensive tension?, hernial orifices?, kidney bearing knocking pain?).
  • Inspection and palpation of the groin region of the standing patient and the lying patient, including digital exploration of the inguinal canal [swelling or protrusion in the groin region; when coughing: cough impact?].
  • Digital rectal examination (DRU): examination of the rectum (rectum) and adjacent organs with the finger by palpation: assessment of the prostate in size, shape and consistency [due topossible cause: prostate adenoma (benign tumor of the prostate gland)]
• If necessary, gynecological examination [due topossible cause: pregnancy].

Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.