Cysts of the canal of Nuck: A rare sonographic diagnosis

Cyst of the canal of Nuck in an adult female patient: A case report on surgical management

INTRODUCTION

The cyst of the canal of Nuck is a rare cause of inguino-labial swelling in adult women, arising from an obliteration failure of the processus vaginalis during embryological development. Its rarity often leads to misdiagnosis and improper treatment. This article highlights its diagnosis and surgical management.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 21-year-old woman presented with a two-month history of symptomatic swelling in the right inguino-labial region, after consulting multiple doctors. Various investigations including abdominal ultrasonography, computed tomography, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging revealed multiloculated cystic lesion with thin walls, without communication to the peritoneal cavity. During surgery, an encysted sack was discovered at the external inguinal ring, with no associated hernia. The cyst was ligated high and excised along with the round ligament. The anatomical defect was repaired without using prosthetic mesh. The patient had an uneventful post-operative recovery at six-months follow-up.

DISCUSSION

The encysted hydrocele (Type 1) is the most common among the three types of canal of Nuck hydroceles. This rare entity should be considered in the differential diagnosis of groin masses, even in adult women. Ultrasonography is often used initially, while Magnetic Resonance Imaging is reserved for complex cases. Surgical intervention is essential for both diagnosis and treatment, with dissection extending up to the deep inguinal ring to address any associated hernias. The choice between open or laparoscopic procedures depends on the nature of the defect.

CONCLUSION

Surgery remains the sole standard therapeutic approach for the management of the cyst of the canal of Nuck.

A Canal of Nuck Cyst Presented as a Femoral Hernia: A Rare Case Report With Diagnostic Dilemma

A cyst of the canal of Nuck is an uncommon disorder in females. It results from the failure of obliteration of the peritoneal fold that runs along the round ligament. This case report details a unique and rare presentation of a 38-year-old female who presented with a right groin swelling. Although her preoperative images showed only the right canal of the Nuck cyst, the intraoperative diagnosis was established as a femoral hernia containing a canal of the Nuck cyst. She underwent an elective cyst excision with repair of the femoral hernia. She had an uneventful post-operative recovery. A femoral hernia that contains a cyst of the canal of Nuck is a rare manifestation of this uncommon condition. The most effective treatment options are surgical cyst excision and repair of the femoral hernia.

Hydrocele of the Canal of Nuck: A report of five cases

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

Canal of Nuck hydrocele is a rare condition in females. Due to mild symptoms, it may be neglected, leading to complications, including infection and bleeding. The rarity of this condition, coupled with its potential for adverse outcomes, necessitates a high index of suspicion among treating surgeons to diagnose and promptly manage the case. We present five cases of the canal of Nuck hydrocele.

CASE PRESENTATION

We prospectively studied five cases of the canal of Nuck hydrocele admitted to our surgical department over two years. Three patients presented with painless, non-tender inguinal swelling, while two had tenderness. Three patients had a right-sided canal of Nuck hydrocele, one had a left-sided, and one had bilateral hydroceles. One patient had an associated indirect inguinal hernia. All patients were treated by carefully dissecting the hydrocele from the round ligament, followed by ligation of the canal of Nuck near the deep inguinal ring. The associated hernia was treated using herniotomy. All patients had an uneventful postoperative course with no recorded postoperative wound infection or recurrence.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

The hydrocele of the Canal of Nuck develops from the failure of complete obliteration of the processus vaginalis in female patients. Most cases are asymptomatic and are usually found incidentally as painless swelling in the inguinolabial region. Surgery is the treatment of choice, as there is an increased incidence of associated complications such as infection and bleeding, and it also helps to confirm the diagnosis. The surgical procedure involves resection of the hydrocele, ligation of the neck of the processus vaginalis, and repair of any associated hernia, if present.

CONCLUSION

The canal of Nuck hydrocele is often overlooked in female pediatric patients with inguinolabial masses. Surgeons must maintain a high index of suspicion and perform prompt ultrasound examinations for an accurate diagnosis. Early surgical intervention is of utmost importance for preventing morbidity.

Contemporary Review of Masses in the Canal of Nuck

Canal of Nuck masses is a rare occurrence that can cause swelling in the abdominal-inguinal region of females for various reasons. This condition arises due to an abnormal persistence of the processus vaginalis opening. Although Canal of Nuck pathology is not widely known among general surgeons or gynecologists due to its rarity, it has been associated with significant morbidity and requires further research. In this comprehensive review, we aim to summarize the embryology and anatomy of the Canal of Nuck, followed by a description of the various types of masses that can occur in this region. We discuss the clinical presentation and diagnostic workup of Canal of Nuck masses, including imaging modalities and differential diagnoses. Next, we review the surgical management of these masses, including open and laparoscopic approaches. Finally, we discuss the potential complications and long-term outcomes associated with Canal of Nuck pathology. This review aims to compile the presently accessible literature on anomalies occurring in the Canal of Nuck in females, with a particular focus on describing their pathological nature, diagnosis, and management. In summary, this review provides an up-to-date understanding of the pathology, diagnosis, and management of Canal of Nuck masses and aims to raise awareness of this under-recognized surgical challenge among healthcare providers.

Hydrocele of the Canal of Nuck: A Review

Canal of Nuck abnormality is a rare surgical condition. The pathologies are mostly encountered in young girls, less than five years of age. The incidence is even less in adults. Various pathologic conditions related to the failure of processus vaginalis obliteration can occur, involving herniation of intraabdominal structures including intestinal and genital contents such as the uterus, fallopian tube, and ovary and hydrocele of the canal of Nuck.

According to its rarity, hydrocele of canal of Nuck is often misdiagnosed for common groin masses. This review summarizes and simplifies embryology, the pathophysiology of the canal of Nuck abnormalities, imaging findings, and treatment options with emphasis on the hydrocele. 

Surgical treatment of a canal of Nuck cyst presenting as a femoral hernia: An unusual case report

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

A canal of Nuck cyst forms because of a patent peritoneal fold evaginating through the inguinal canal in a female patient. It is a rare diagnosis because the canal often obliterates within the first year of a female patient's life. A persistent canal of Nuck may cause indirect inguinal hernias, or form hydroceles, termed canal of Nuck cysts. Here we report the first case of a canal of Nuck cyst discovered to be evaginating through the femoral canal.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 70-year-old female patient initially presented with a symptomatic groin mass, and a suspected inguinal hernia on pre-operative ultrasound. Intraoperatively, she was found to have a canal of Nuck cyst terminating within the femoral canal. This was successfully repaired using a modified McVay approach, and approximation of the internal inguinal ring. She performed well post-operatively with no signs of recurrence at her six-month follow-up.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

This case report serves to highlight the canal of Nuck cyst, a rare embryologic remnant, and the first literature-reported femoral canal of Nuck cyst. We re-affirm the diagnostic unreliability of ultrasound imaging in the workup of groin hernias. Furthermore, we describe surgical techniques to repair a canal of Nuck cyst found within the femoral canal.

CONCLUSION

To the best of our knowledge, no prior literature reports a canal of Nuck cyst presenting as a femoral hernia. This rare diagnosis may be encountered in common operations and is amenable to definitive repair using traditional hernia repair techniques.

Hydroceles of the Canal of Nuck in Adults-Diagnostic, Treatment and Results of a Rare Condition in Females

Nuck’s hydroceles, which develop in a protruding part of the parietal peritoneum into the female inguinal canal, are rare abnormalities and a cause of inguinal swelling, mostly resulting in pain. They appear when this evagination of the parietal peritoneum into the inguinal canal fails to obliterate. Our review of the literature on this topic included several case reports and two case series that presented cases of Nuck hydroceles which underwent surgical therapy. We present six consecutive cases of symptomatic hydroceles of Nuck’s canal from September 2016 to January 2020 at the Department of Surgery of Charité Berlin. Several of these patients had a long history of pain and consecutive consultations to outpatient clinics without diagnosis. These patients underwent laparoscopic or conventional excision and if needed simultaneous hernioplasty in our institution. Ultrasonography and/or Magnetic Resonance Imaging were used to display the cystic lesion in the inguinal area, providing the diagnosis of Nuck’s hydrocele. This finding was confirmed intraoperatively and by histopathological review. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) captures, intraoperative pictures and video of minimal invasive treatment are provided. Nuck’s hydroceles should be included in the differential diagnosis of an inguinal swelling. We recommend an open approach to external Type 1 Nuck´s hydroceles and a laparoscopic approach to intra-abdominal Type 2 Nuck hydroceles. Complex hydroceles like Type 3 have to be evaluated individually, as they are challenging and the surgical outcome is dependent on the surgeon’s skills. If inguinal channel has been widened by the presence of a Nuck’s hydrocele, a mesh plasty, as performed in hernia surgery, should be considered.

Prenatal Diagnosis of a Cyst of the Canal of Nuck Associated With an Ovarian Cyst and Acute Polyhydramnios

In the female, the canal of Nuck is a tubular fold of parietal peritoneum that travels along with the round ligament through the inguinal canal to its attachment on the labia majora. The canal of Nuck is analogous to the processus vaginalis in the male. In embryonic development, this pathway typically obliterates early in life; however, in some cases, it may partially or completely fail to close. This failure to obliterate can lead to complications ranging from a cyst of the canal of Nuck (also known as a female hydrocele) to herniation and incarceration of abdominal and pelvic organs. There is little information available in the medical literature concerning this rare condition; therefore, it is important for sonographers, physicians, and surgeons to be familiar with this developmental abnormality. This report represents the first prenatal case of a cyst of the canal of Nuck, along with the unique combination of a large left fetal ovarian cyst and acute polyhydramnios. The embryology, incidence, differential diagnosis, management, and treatment of these female conditions are discussed.

Nuck cyst: a rare cause of inguinal swelling in infancy

BACKGROUND

Inguinal and/or inguino-scrotal swellings, such as hernia and hydrocele, are among the commonest anomalies in childhood. Hydrocele of the canal of Nuck is an uncommon diagnosis and a rare cause of swelling in women that occurs due to a patent vaginal process.

METHODS

From January 2001 to January 2016, 353 female patients 1-14 years of age were admitted to our university hospital division for inguinal swelling. We have performed 403 inguinal approaches, and of these, 399 (99%) had inguinal hernias, 3 (0.74%) had a cyst of the canal of Nuck, and 1 (0.24%) had a lipoma. All of the patients with Nuck cysts underwent surgical exploration of the swelling through a right inguinal skin crease incision.

RESULTS

The patients were between the ages of 1 and 8 years. The cyst sizes varied between 25 and 40 mm. All the patients exhibited right, tender, painless, non-reducible masses. In all patients, ultrasound confirmed the suspected diagnosis. The histological findings revealed fibrous-walled cystic formations with mild chronic inflammatory infiltrate that were covered by mesothelial epithelium. The patients' postoperative follow-ups at 1, 6 and 12 months revealed normally healed incisions with no recurrences.

CONCLUSIONS

The surgical findings and the histological demonstrations of serous epithelium seemed to validate the hypothesis that the patency of the inguinal canal combined with fluid secretion of the peritoneal serosa participated in the formation of the cysts. Surgery with high ligature of the vaginal process is considered the therapy of choice for this pathology.

Anatomy and pathology of the canal of Nuck

The canal of Nuck is the female equivalent of the processus vaginalis in the male but is less well known than its male counterpart. It is a rare entity not commonly encountered by radiologists, particularly in the adult population. Knowledge of the embryology and anatomy of the canal of Nuck is essential for identification of the various pathologic conditions that may occur in this location. Moreover, radiologists should be familiar with this entity to compose an appropriate and thorough differential diagnosis of a labial mass/swelling. In this review, we discuss both the anatomy and the more common pathology that can be encountered within it.