Collagen in the transversalis fascia of patients with indirect inguinal hernia: a case-control study

Casanova, Antonio Britto; Trindade, Eduardo Neubarth; Trindade, Manoel Roberto Maciel

doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2008.07.021

« Previous Next »The American Journal of Surgery
Volume 198, Issue 1 , Pages 1-5, July 2009

Collagen in the transversalis fascia of patients with indirect inguinal hernia: a case-control study

Antonio Britto Casanova, M.D., Ms.C.
- Department of Surgery, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Brazil
- Post-Graduation Program in Surgery, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Surgery, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Eduardo Neubarth Trindade, M.D.
- Group of Research in Laparoscopy and Digestive Surgery, CNPQ/UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Manoel Roberto Maciel Trindade, M.D., Ph.D.
- Post-Graduation Program in Surgery, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Surgery, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Division of Digestive Surgery, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Corresponding author: Tel: +55-51-32228536; fax: +55-51-32227079

Received 17 May 2008; received in revised form 17 July 2008 published online 19 December 2008.

Abstract

Background

The aim of this study was to analyze the constituents of total and types I and III collagen fibers in the transversalis fascias of patients with indirect inguinal hernias, compared with samples removed from nonherniated cadavers.

Methods

Biopsy samples from 26 patients and 26 cadavers were analyzed. Hematoxylin-eosin and picrosirius staining techniques were used. The images obtained were analyzed using a video morphometric technique to determine the constituents of total collagen and types I and III collagen in the transversalis fascia. The picrosirius-stained tissues were submitted to observation under polarized-light microscopy.

Results

The results showed 17.3% less total collagen in patients with hernias compared with the control group (P < .01). Type I collagen in patients with indirect inguinal hernias was 23.7% less than the control group (P < .01), type III collagen was 6.4% less in the controls (P < .01).

Conclusion

The lower percentages of total collagen and type I collagen in the transversalis fascias of patients with indirect inguinal hernias could be a factor in hernia formation.

Keywords: Collagen, Inguinal hernia, Case-control study