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.