Epiploic appendicitis in inguinal hernia sac presenting an inguinal mass

Ectopic adrenal gland in an adult inguinal hernial sac: A case report

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Ectopic adrenocortical tissue is a rare finding that can be encountered in inguinal hernial sacs of adults.

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Surgeons should be aware of this and are encouraged to resect Ectopic adrenocortical tissue when grossly identified.

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Secondary hyperplasia after adrenalectomy, adrenal insufficiency, and neoplastic transformation should all be considered.

Introduction

A 37-year-old male patient operated for inguinal hernia repair was found to have ectopic adrenocortical tissue in the hernial sac.

Case presentation

A 37-year-old man was admitted for bilateral inguinal hernia. An uneventful open repair was done, and the resected hernial sacs were sent to pathology. Histopathology reported the presence of adrenocortical tissue in the right inguinal hernial sac.

Discussion

Ectopic adrenocortical tissue (EACT) in the groin region is not an unusual finding in children, however, it’s rarely reported in adult patients. Only 9 cases have been reported in English describing EACT in an adult’s inguinal hernia. The finding can be attributed to the close proximity of the developing gonads and adrenal cortex during embryogenesis, and subsequent mechanical translocation of adrenocortical tissue during testicular descent. Some theoretical clinical implications exist for this condition, including secondary hyperplasia after adrenalectomy, adrenal insufficiency in certain situations, and possible neoplastic transformation. Generally, it is recommended that surgeons resect ectopic adrenal glands when identified intra-operatively. However, actively searching for these glands has no known benefit and carries some surgical risks, and is hence not recommended. It is reasonable as well, that clinicians keep the clinical implications of this finding in mind during future follow-ups with such patients.

Conclusion

The presence of ectopic adrenocortical tissue in inguinal hernia sacs is a rare encounter in adults. The condition can have several theoretical clinical implications that need to be considered by surgeons while assessing patients in whom this phenomenon is observed.

Laparoscopic repair of an irreducible femoral hernia containing an epiploic appendage of the sigmoid colon

Here we present the first report of laparoscopic repair of an irreducible femoral hernia containing an epiploic appendage of the sigmoid colon. A 73-year-old woman presented with a 1-week history of a left groin mass below the inguinal ligament with no abdominal symptoms. Abdominal CT demonstrated a 21 × 18-mm oval-shaped, fat-dense structure in the left groin area. The hernia contents were considered potentially associated with the omentum; thus, a left irreducible femoral hernia was diagnosed. Elective laparoscopic surgery revealed an irreducible femoral hernia containing an epiploic appendage of the sigmoid colon, which was then reduced. The reduced epiploic appendage showed no ischemic changes, inflammation, torsion, or swelling, obviating the need for resection. The femoral hernia was laparoscopically repaired via a transabdominal preperitoneal approach with mesh. The patient's postoperative recovery was uneventful, and no recurrence of the femoral hernia was noted at the 6-month follow-up.

Epiploic Appendagitis in a Femoral Hernia

Both epiploic appendagitis and femoral herniae are rare diagnoses individually. No radiological cases of a patient having epiploic appendagitis within a femoral hernia have been documented in the literature. We present a case of a 65-year-old patient who underwent clinical work-up for a tender left groin lump. When undergoing a CT scan for investigating possible lymphadenopathy, she was found to have epiploic appendagitis contained within an incarcerated left sided femoral hernia. In this case report, we review the relevant anatomy, aetiology, patient demographics, as well as clinical and imaging findings and management.

CT imaging findings of epiploic appendagitis: an unusual cause of abdominal pain

Epiploic appendagitis is a rare cause of acute abdominal pain, determined by a benign self-limiting inflammation of the epiploic appendages. It may manifest with heterogeneous clinical presentations, mimicking other more severe entities responsible of acute abdominal pain, such as acute diverticulitis or appendicitis. Given its importance as clinical mimicker, imaging plays a crucial role to avoid inaccurate diagnosis that may lead to unnecessary hospitalization, antibiotic therapy, and surgery. CT represents the gold standard technique for the evaluation of patients with indeterminate acute abdominal pain. Imaging findings include the presence of an oval lesion with fat-attenuation surrounded by a thin hyperdense rim on CT (“hyperattenuating ring sign”) abutting anteriorly the large bowel, usually associated with inflammation of the adjacent mesentery. A central high-attenuation focus within the fatty lesion (“central dot sign”) can sometimes be observed and is indicative of a central thrombosed vein within the inflamed epiploic appendage. Rarely, epiploic appendagitis may be located within a hernia sac or attached to the vermiform appendix. Chronically infarcted epiploic appendage may detach, appearing as an intraperitoneal loose calcified body in the abdominal cavity. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the clinical presentation and key imaging features that may help the radiologist to make an accurate diagnosis and guide the clinical management of those patients.

Strangulation and necrosis of an epiploic appendage of the sigmoid colon in a right inguinal hernia

An epiploic appendage of the sigmoid colon is considered to be an unusual type of inguinal hernia content. The strangulation of a sigmoid colon appendage into a right inguinal hernia is exclusively rare. We present a case of an 81-year-old female patient with severe cardiovascular comorbidities who was urgently admitted after an episode of strangulation and subsequent spontaneous reduction of a right inguinal hernia. The condition of the patient was stable, and an urgent operation was not indicated for three days after admission. However, we had to operate because the hernia strangulation recurred. In the hernia sac, a free fatty body (a separated and saponified epiploic appendage of the colon) and a strangulated epiploic appendage of dolichosigmoid, with signs of necrosis, were found. Removal of the free fatty body and necrotic epiploic appendage and subsequent anterior-wall inguinal hernioplasty were successfully performed. In the world literature, this case may be the first report of a sigmoid epiploic appendage strangulation in a right inguinal hernia that is well documented by photography.

[Contribution of imaging in the diagnosis of epiploic appendagitis]

INTRODUCTION

Primary epiploic appendagitis is known to be a rare finding among causes of acute abdomen. Depending on location, it may mimic several disorders such as colonic diverticulitis and acute appendicitis. Diagnosis is sometimes performed during surgery.

METHODS

This is a retrospective descriptive study. The authors report the contribution of imaging for the diagnosis of appendagitis in seven patients investigated between July 2010 and April 2013 by abdominal and pelvic ultrasound or computed tomography (CT).

RESULTS

CT scan confirmed the diagnosis in six patients avoiding unnecessary surgery and hospitalization. The seventh patient was a pregnant woman in whom the diagnosis of appendagitis was made during surgery for appendicitis.

CONCLUSION

Appendagitis is a rare cause of acute abdominal pain. Outcome is favorable with medical treatment only. Abdominal ultrasound and CT are helpful diagnostic tests avoiding useless surgical procedure.

Aberrant adrenocortical tissue in hernia sac occurring in an adult: case report and review of the literature

Aberrant adrenal tissue is rare, particularly in adults. To the best of our knowledge, only eight cases have been reported in the English literature. Awareness of the possible occurrence of adrenal tissue in hernial sac is crucial, as these rests may have several clinical implications. These potential implications include hyperplasia, adrenal insufficiency, neoplastic transformation and misdiagnosis as metastatic clear cell carcinoma. We report a rare case of aberrant adrenocortical tissue in hernial sac. We review the literature and highlight the clinical implications of this incidental finding.

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Inguinal hernia has a nature to surprise surgeons with its unexpected contents. Appendix epiploicae alone in the hernial sac is a rare entity and that too if hypertrophied and presenting as irreducible hernia is still more uncommon. We report a 52-year-old male with complains of irreducible inguinal mass with little pain on Left side for seven days. A diagnosis of irreducible inguinal hernia was made and the patient was treated laparoscopically by Trans-Abdominal Pre-Peritoneal Mesh Hernioplasty (TAPP). As a surprise, content of the hernial sac was enlarged / hypertrophied appendix epiploicae of sigmoid colon with appendigitis. Patient also had and incidental hernia on the other side, which was repaired in the same sitting. Postoperative recovery of the patient was excellent.

Torsion of the primary epiploic appendagitis: a case series and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Differential diagnosis and appropriate treatment of epiploic appendagitis (EA) is a dilemma for general surgeons because of nonspecific signs and symptoms.

METHODS

Twelve patients (3 women and 9 men, average age 40 years, range 18-82 years) who were diagnosed as having EA upon presenting to the emergency department or at the time of discharge between April 2002 and September 2008 were included.

RESULTS

The major presenting symptom was abdominal pain. Physical examination revealed well-localized tenderness in all cases (n = 12); in addition, rebound tenderness and distention were also observed. Laboratory blood tests were normal except for 4 patients who had leukocytosis. Seven cases were diagnosed by an abdominal computed tomography scan. Five patients required surgical intervention, whereas the remaining did not.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgeons should be aware of this self-limiting disease that mimics many other intra-abdominal acute conditions. An abdominal computed tomography scan has a significant role in accurate diagnosis of EA before surgery to avoid unnecessary surgical interventions.

Epiploic Appendagitis: Report of Two Cases

Epiploic appendagitis (EA) refers to primary or secondary inflammatory disease of the epiploic appendages: peritoneal pouches of subserosal fat, which run in parallel rows beside the taenia coli of the colon. It is an uncommon but self-limiting condition, which often mimics acute appendicitis or diverticulitis. An accurate diagnosis of EA can be made by performing an abdominal computed tomography scan. Establishing a correct preoperative diagnosis is important to avoid unnecessary exploratory laparoscopy or laparotomy. We report two cases of EA, which to our knowledge represent the first documented cases from India.