Challenges in strategies for Amyand hernia in children: literature review with clinical illustrations

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Amyand hernia (AH) is a rare disease, so there are no standard strategies and there are many different aspects at each stage of its management. Based on our own experience, we encountered these differences even in a small number of cases and therefore sought to review the literature to highlight the diversity of approaches to this pathology. This review of the literature was not intended to describe the statistical findings found in the clinical case series, but rather to highlight the clinical and surgical difficulties of AH in children. Nevertheless, we conducted an introductory statistical study based on data from PubMed and Google Scholar to understand the global prevalence of AH. Materials and methods The search for the key terms Amyand hernia, Amyand’s hernia, and “children” between 2003 and 2023 resulted in 52 PubMed and 548 Google Scholar articles. Results After the exclusion of irrelevant studies, 101 articles were found. A total of 83 case reports describing 182 pediatric patients were used to understand the demographic distribution of this pathology. Given the impossibility of further comprehensive statistical analysis (due to heterogeneous data), a narrative design was used to describe the remaining aspects of AH management. Finally, three clinical cases demonstrated the mentioned aspects. Discussion As a result of the search, conclusions were drawn about the main difficulties in the management of AH in children, which were discussed.