Could an Inguinal Hernia cause swollen inguinal lymph nodes?
An inguinal hernia is produced by a defect of the anterior abdominal wall, this means that there’s a hole, through which abdominal content protrudes, this could be intestines or just the epiplon (the fat that surrounds the internal organs). There are two types of inguinal hernia direct and indirect, but the symptoms are the same. Normally a hernia can be reduced, this means that the content of the hernial sac can be pushed back in the abdomen, these hernias still need to be solved in surgery but electively (not as an emergency). When a hernia can not be reduced it’s called an incarcerated hernia. And when the content of a hernial sac gets its blood supply compromised (the vessels can’t get enough blood in) it’s called strangulated hernia, this is an emergency since the content is basically dying without blood. Only in this setting the hernia can cause bilateral (both sides) inguinal nodes. But the other symptomatology (pain, fever…) would be so overwhelming that the nodes would be th
