Sonographic findings of groin masses

The clinical value of ultrasound in assessing ovarian strangulation in female infants and toddlers with ovarian hernia

Objective

To explore the clinical value of ultrasound examination in evaluating the presence of ovarian torsion in female infants with inguinal ovarian hernia.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 91 cases of ovarian hernia diagnosed by ultrasonography at our institution. Among them, 6 cases were identified as ovarian strangulation, while 85 cases were classified as non-ovarian strangulation. All cases underwent high-frequency ultrasound examination. We analyzed whether there were differences in the associated factors between the two groups and compared the disparities in the urgency of surgery between the two groups.

Results

Significant differences were observed between the ovarian strangulation group and the non- strangulation group in terms of ovarian volume, ovarian blood flow, and the presence of incarceration. The need for emergency surgery was significantly associated with the presence of incarceration and ovarian torsion.

Conclusion

Ultrasound has good clinical value in diagnosing ovarian hernia and determining the presence of ovarian strangulation. It can assist clinical physicians in determining the timing of surgery for children with ovarian hernia.

Torsion of funiculocele presenting as an incarcerated hernia: A rare case

INTRODUCTION

Inguinal hernia is common, but the groin area can host various pathologies. Distinguishing clinically between hernias and rare conditions like torsion of funiculocele poses challenges due to similar presentations.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 50-year-old man, with a 10-year-history of a groin mass, presented with a painful groin mass, initially diagnosed as a strangulated hernia. In surgery, a torsion of a cyst was identified, and it was attached to the spermatic cord. A detorsion of the cyst and an excision were successfully performed. The patient recovered well with no recurrence.

DISCUSSION

The most common causes of acute groin pain are injury, incarcerated hernia, kidney stone and bone fracture. Additionally, funiculocele can cause groin pain or discomfort. Funiculocele, a rare congenital anomaly, typically affects pediatric patients. A torsion of funiculocele is easily confused with an incarcerated hernia. Ultrasonography plays a crucial role in confirmation. Although unusual, a torsion of a cyst can occur, necessitating surgical excision.

CONCLUSION

Funiculocele in adults, mimicking hernias, is rare but requires timely surgical intervention to prevent complications. Awareness of this anomaly is vital for accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.

Pleomorphic spermatic cord liposarcoma: A case report and review of management

Liposarcoma of the spermatic cord is very rare, representing about 7% of para testicular sarcomas. It is considered to be one of the highest malignancy grades. We present a case of a liposarcoma of the spermatic cord in a 45-year-old male complaining of a progressive painless swelling in the right inguinoscrotal region. Ultrasonography and computed tomography findings were compatible with liposarcoma of the spermatic cord. We performed a right radical orchiectomy with a wide resection of the mass. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis and showed a pleomorphic subtype. The mainstay of management of spermatic cord liposarcoma is wide excision with radical orchiectomy. The most important factors for prognosis are the histologic subtype and surgical margin status. Adjuvant radiotherapy should be considered in cases at high risk for local recurrence. Long-term surveillance is mandatory. Liposarcoma of the spermatic cord is an uncommon para testicular tumor which should be part of the differential diagnosis of inguinoscrotal mass. A radical inguinal orchiectomy with wide resection of the soft tissue mass and the spermatic cord are the key to longest local and systemic disease-free survival.

Complicated, Complete, Indirect, Irreducible Right Inguinoscrotal Hernia

Inguinal hernias are the most common of all hernias. A complicated hernia is irreducible, and the contents are obstructed or strangulated. Sonography is considered the imaging modality of choice for the diagnosis of abnormalities of the inguinal area. This case study is about a patient with an inguinal hernia that had not been repaired and progressed into a life-threatening, complicated inguinoscrotal hernia. The patient’s complaints and clinical findings required sonographic examinations of the abdomen, pelvis, inguinal canal, and scrotum. Sonographic findings were corroborated by findings with computed tomography (CT). After the compromised intestine was resected and the hernia was repaired, the patient developed a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), identified sonographically. The patient was successfully treated and discharged.

Spermatic Cord Lipoma-A Review of the Literature

Introduction: A spermatic cord lipoma is found in 20–70% of all inguinal hernia repairs. The clinical picture of an inguinal hernia with bulging and pain but without an actual indirect hernia sac may become manifest in up to 8% of these cases. Missed spermatic cord lipoma can result in recurrence or pseudo-recurrence. This review presents the relevant literature on this topic.

Materials and Methods: A systematic search of the available literature was performed in February 2020 using Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Embase, Springer Link, and the Cochrane Library, as well as a search of relevant journals and reference lists. Forty-two publications were identified as relevant for this topic.

Results: Spermatic cord lipoma seems to originate from preperitoneal fatty tissue within the internal spermatic fascia in topographical proximity to the arteries, veins, lymphatics, nerves, and deferent duct within the spermatic cord. Reliable diagnosis cannot be made clinically, but rather with ultrasound, CT, or MRI. In the absence of a real hernia sac, a spermatic cord lipoma is classified as a lateral inguinal hernia with a defect size <1.5 cm according to the European Hernia Society (EHS LI). Missed or inadequately treated spermatic cord lipoma results in recurrence or pseudo-recurrence. Since spermatic cord lipoma obtains its vascular supply from the preperitoneal space, it can be reduced or resected.

Conclusion: Spermatic cord lipoma is a common finding in inguinal hernia repairs and must be properly diagnosed and treated with care respecting the anatomy of the spermatic cord.

Using Point-of-Care Ultrasound to Characterize Acute Inguinal Swelling of Young Children in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Acute inguinal swelling in young children is frequently assumed to be an inguinal hernia, often prompting a bedside reduction attempt. We report 3 cases of inguinal swelling where the use of point-of-care ultrasound changed the patients' management by identifying an alternate diagnosis, thus avoiding unnecessary and painful procedures as well as their associated sedation risks.

Spermatic cord liposarcomas incidentally found during hernia surgery: is histology of any lipoma mandatory? A review of the literature

Purpose: Liposarcomas found incidentally during open or laparoscopic inguinal hernia surgery are extremely rare. It is unclear, whether any adipose tissue being removed during inguinal hernia surgery must be sent for histology due to the potential risk of liposarcoma of the spermatic cord. This study aims to evaluate the frequency of liposarcomas incidentally found in the inguinal canal during hernia surgery and tries to derive evidence-based recommendations regarding the optimal management of any fatty tissue found in the inguinal canal.Methods: A literature review of the PubMed/Medline electronic databases between January 1980 and January 2019 was performed using the search terms 'inguinal hernia' and 'liposarcoma'. There was only one study available on this topic. Therefore, an additional literature review was performed analyzing all reports on patients with incidentally detected liposarcomas of the spermatic cord in the inguinal canal during hernia surgery.Results: There was only one retrospective study evaluating the frequency of inguinal liposarcoma found at hernia operations with a frequency of less than 0.1%. There were 18 cases of spermatic cord liposarcomas that were truly found incidentally during operation for an unsuspected symptomatic or incarcerated inguinal hernia. These included 16 case reports with a total of 18 patients and 19 liposarcomas. All patients were male with a median age of 62.5 years (range: 24-86 years) years. Median size of liposarcoma was 10.5 cm (range: 3-30 cm). In seven patients, the inguinal liposarcoma was an extension of a retroperitoneal sarcoma. Treatment consisted of radical orchidectomy during the primary operation in 12 patients. Three out of the seven patients with retroperitoneal extension of the tumor underwent a secondary operation with complete resection of the tumor.Conclusions: Currently, there is no evidence-based recommendation available regarding the management of lipomas detected during open or laparoscopic inguinal hernia surgery. Due to the extremely low risk of the presence of a liposarcoma, routine histologic examination cannot be recommended unless the diameter exceeds 10 cm.

Laparoscopic hydrocelectomy of the canal of Nuck in adult female: Case report and literature review

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A very rare case of hydrocele of canal of Nuck in elderly lady.

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This case expands the clinical and intraoperative potential differential diagnosis of adult female groin masses.

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Hydrocele of canal of Nuck must be considered one of the differential diagnosis in ladies with inguinal masses.

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Laparoscopic TAPP is superior to open approach in managing such cases.

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Probably the first case of hydrocele of canal of Nuck in adult female operated laparoscopically in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region, and the fourth such case worldwide.

Introduction

Among adult females, Hydrocele of Canal of Nuck (HCN) is a very rare condition. The majority of the reported cases of HCN were not conclusively diagnosed until surgery was performed on a suspected inguinal hernia. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of laparoscopically operated HCN in adult female in Middle East and North Africa Region, and the fourth such case worldwide.

Presentation of case

A 36-year-old female presented with a painful small swelling in the right groin of 3 months duration. The swelling extended to the right labia majora while standing, and disappeared when the patient was in prone position. There was no lymph node enlargement, no other masses in the abdomen, and no swelling in the contralateral side. Ultrasonography was undertaken and the patient was admitted electively for laparoscopic exploration and repair of non-complicated right inguinal hernia. She was known to have dyslipidemia on medications. Further history and physical examination were unremarkable. Intraoperatively it was diagnosed to be right-sided HCN which was excised and repaired by mesh fixation using transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) approach. Her follow up course was unremarkable.

Conclusions

This case expands the clinical and intraoperative potential differential diagnosis of adult female groin masses. Surgeons should consider such cases when they observe such swellings intraoperatively. Laparoscopic TAPP approach in such cases is a superior diagnostic and treatment modality.

Groin abnormalities: ultrasonographic and clinical findings

Groin lesions can be classified as neoplastic or non-neoplastic. Neoplastic lesions include lipoma, epidermoid cyst, angiomyofibroblastoma-like tumor, liposarcoma, and synovial sarcoma, as well as metastases from lymphoma, neuroendocrine carcinoma, and carcinomas of the lung, breast, urinary bladder, ovary, vulva, and colon. Non-neoplastic lesions include hernias, round ligament varices, endometriosis, Kimura disease, Castleman disease, hematoma, and inflammation. Because the clinical implications and therapeutic strategies for groin lesions vary depending on the cause, the ability to noninvasively differentiate among etiologies is very important. Although there is substantial overlap in ultrasonographic findings across various groin lesions, some ultrasonographic features, along with clinical characteristics, may suggest a specific diagnosis. Familiarity with the ultrasonographic and clinical features of various groin lesions facilitates accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Cyst of the canal of Nuck mimicking inguinal hernia

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This is a rare diagnosis, and the differential diagnosis often includes more common causes of inguinal masses.

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In this document, we aimed to present the rare case of a Nuck canal cyst.

Introduction

Coley, in 1892, reported 14 cases of a hydrocele in women. He described this “affection” as being “too rare an anomaly to deserve consideration. The rarity of this finding continues to be described in more current literature of 400 cases.

Case presentation

42-year-old woman presented to the clinic with a palpable mass in her left inguinal region. On physical examination, a soft-consistency, mobile mass of about 4 cm in size was seen in the left inguinal region. The cystic lesion which was seen to be originated from the inguinal canal was excised in the exploration made by suspending the round ligament by passing through the anatomical folds with the incision made from the left inguinal region. The defect was repaired with prolene mesh after high ligation. Patient was discharged on the 1st postoperative day.

Discussion

In women, a round ligament is attached to the uterus close to the origin of the fallopian tubes, and the extension of the parietal peritoneum follows the round ligament as it passes to the inguinal canal through the internal ring. Hydroceles of the canal of Nuck were not conclusively diagnosed until surgery was performed on a suspected inguinal hernia. The treatment of Nuck canale hydroceles are surgery. Ligating the prosessus vaginalis and excision of the cyst in surgical treatment will prevent recurrences.

Conclusions

Nuck canal cysts should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cases of female patient's complaints of swelling in the inguinal region.

Lipoma of the fossa femoralis mimicking a femoral hernia. Report of 2 cases

INTRODUCTION

Lipoma of the femoral fossa is uncommon. Often asymptomatic, femoral lipoma may growth within the circumscribed space of the femoral fossa causing pain and discomfort. A worsening pain caused by a lipomatous mass in the femoral area is a clinical feature that can mislead the diagnosis, resembling the more common condition of femoral hernia.

METHODS

Two cases of symptomatic lipomas of the femoral fossa mimicking an incarcerated femoral hernia are presented. In both, Caucasian female, patients clinical examination and ultrasound of the femoral region revealed a painful neoplasm suspected for incarcerated femoral hernia.

RESULTS

Intraoperatively, a mass of encapsulated fat arising from the bottom of the fossa femoralis was found. No visceral protrusion through the femoral ring could be documented. The neoplasms were removed in toto. Histology of the excised specimens evidenced the diagnosis of femoral lipomas suffering by chronic compressive damages. In a midterm postoperative follow up, both patients were symptom- free.

DISCUSION

A correct preoperative diagnosis of femoral lipoma is challenging, even following an accurate diagnostic pathway. The cases highlighted herewith seem to confirm that lipoma of the femoral fossa can be mistaken with a femoral hernia.

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical and histological features evidenced could result helpful in the differentiation of a lipomatous mass of the femoral fossa from a genuine femoral hernia.

Role of Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Fibrosarcoma of the Spermatic Cord: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Background

Spermatic cord sarcomas are rare. The therapeutic approach is based only on case reports and small series. The standard treatment is radical orchiectomy with wide local resection, while the role of adjuvant therapies is not clear. We present a case of fibrosarcoma of the spermatic cord treated with surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy. A review of the literature about the role of adjuvant treatments is also discussed.

Case Report

A 59-year-old man presented a right testicular mass of about 4 × 3 cm in size. Biopsy showed a high-grade polymorphous sarcoma, consistent with a diagnosis of poorly differentiated fibromyosarcoma. He underwent a right radical inguinal orchiectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy (total dose: 5940 cGy). During treatment the patient developed a G3 skin toxicity (RTOG score) in the inguinal fold. After a follow-up of 57 months, he is alive and without evidence of local or distant recurrence. No late toxicity was noted.

Conclusion

The optimal adjuvant management of spermatic cord sarcoma is still uncertain. Looking at the literature, it seems that adjuvant radiotherapy can improve locoregional control and disease-free survival without additional late toxicity.

Epidermoid Cyst in Inguinal Canal: A Rare Presentation

The patients presenting with lump in inguinal area are mostly suspected as hernias. Epidermoid cyst commonly presenting in head and neck region rarely may develop from inguinal canal structures. We present here a rare case of epidermoid cyst measuring 7×8 cm as a content of inguinal canal diagnosed by ultrasonography. Surgical excision was done and confirmed as epidermoid cyst by histopathology. We conclude that cutaneous cysts in inguinal area may be a presentation and should be kept in mind for differential diagnosis.

Incarcerated ovarian herniation of the canal of Nuck in a female infant: Ultrasonographic findings and review of literature

Introduction

Inguinal hernia with containing the ovary presenting as a palpable groin mass is an uncommon congenital condition, and it may cause complications such as strangulation, torsion, and infertility. We present a case of ovarian herniation into inguinal canal with sonographic findings.

Presentation of case

A 15-day-old infant girl visited our hospital with the complaints of palpable mass in the right groin. On physical examination, a palpable non-movable mass was found in the right inguinal region, and it was irreducible. During sonographic examination, a well-circumscribed solid mass containing small cysts was found. Then, oophorectomy with high inguinal ligation was performed, and the patient was doing well after surgery.

Discussion

The canal of Nuck is an abnormal patent pouch of the parietal peritoneum extending to the round ligament of the uterus into the labia majora through the inguinal ring. When this canal obliterates incompletely, inguinal herniation of ovary or hydrocele occur in the female children. In the clinical practice, ovarian herniation should be differentiated from a hernia containing intestine, fat, fluid, or lymph nodes. Therefore, a careful sonographic evaluation is mandatory to make an accurate diagnosis in female infants with palpable inguinal mass.

Conclusion

Ultrasound (US) with color Doppler US can be helpful to the diagnosis of ovarian herniation through the canal of Nuck and hernia-related complications.

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The canal of Nuck is an abnormal patent pouch of the parietal peritoneum extending to the round ligament of the uterus into the labia majora through the inguinal ring into the inguinal canal.

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Incomplete obliteration of canal of Nuck can result in either an inguinal hernia or a hydrocoele in female children.

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Awareness of ovarian herniation through the canal of Nuck and its embryologic mechanisms can be helpful for the identification of this disease and the prevention of its unexpected complication in clinical practice.

Ultrasonographic diagnosis of ovary-containing hernias of the canal of Nuck

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to describe the ultrasonographic findings of ovary-containing hernias of the canal of Nuck.

Methods:

This was a retrospective analysis of 22 hernia cases of the canal of Nuck. The following gray scale and color Doppler ultrasonographic features were analyzed: the site and the size of the hernia, the texture of the hernia contents, and the presence or absence of blood flow in the hernia contents.

Results:

All of the patients had swelling of the right inguinal region (n=10), left inguinal region (n=8), or both (n=2). On ultrasonography, the hernias appeared as either solid masses (n=17) or solid masses containing cysts (n=5). The mean anteroposterior diameter of the hernia sac of the canal of Nuck was 9.1 mm (range, 5 to 18 mm). The mean anteroposterior diameters of the hernia sac were 11.6 mm (range, 7.6 to 18 mm) for hernias containing an ovary, and 8.3 mm (range, 5 to 13 mm) for hernias containing omental fat. During surgery, among the 17 cases with solid-appearing hernia contents on ultrasonography, omental fat was identified in the hernia sac in four cases, but no structure was identified in 13 cases. All five cases that appeared as solid masses containing cysts on ultrasonography contained ovary tissue in the hernia sac. Among the four cases of ovary-containing hernias, color Doppler ultrasonography identified blood flow within the ovary in three cases, but no flow signal was seen in one case of incarcerated hernia.

Conclusion:

Ultrasonography may be helpful for the diagnosis of ovary-containing hernias of the canal of Nuck by detecting solid masses containing small cysts.

Myxoid liposarcoma of the spermatic cord: US and MR imaging findings

We report a patient with myxoid liposarcoma of the spermatic cord in whom combined use of both ultrasound (US) and MRI helped to suggest the diagnosis. The lesion was solid at US and vascularized at color Doppler. T1-weighted MRI did not show fat within it; on T2-weighted images it had high signal intensity, with a cyst-like appearance. It is known that fat-poor myxoid liposarcomas with high water content may mimic a cystic lesion on non-contrast-enhanced MR; then, a combination of MRI findings, suggesting a cyst, and of US findings, showing the mass was actually solid and vascularized, allowed preoperatively the diagnosis of fat-poor myxoid liposarcoma.

Local Investigation of outcomes Based on Ultrasound Examinations for Suspected Inguinal Hernia Performed by Sonographers and Radiologists

Inguinal hernia is the most common surgical repair performed in England with more than 73,000 cases in 2007. The majority of inguinal hernias are diagnosed clinically, but ultrasound is fast becoming the imaging modality of choice for diagnosing occult hernia, due to its non-invasive nature and lack of radiation. At the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, ultrasound of the groin was performed only by radiologists, but recently sonographers have also begun examining patients for inguinal hernia. This study investigates the accuracy of ultrasound diagnosis of hernia and compares the performances of radiologists and sonographers over a nine-month period involving 124 patients. Our results indicate that both professional groups have a high detection rate and that there is no significant difference in accuracy. An incidental finding was that many general practitioner referrals diagnosed with an inguinal hernia did not proceed to surgery. Since many ultrasound departments are experiencing demand versus capacity issues, it may be that further investigation into the value of diagnosis when surgery is unlikely is warranted.

Ultrasound evaluation of superficial lumps and bumps of the extremities in children: a 5-year retrospective review

Ultrasonography is commonly requested for evaluation of palpable soft-tissue masses of the extremities in children. Although malignancy is quite rare in these children, it remains a primary diagnostic concern. As a result, knowledge of the common and uncommon soft-tissue lesions as well as sonographic techniques for optimized evaluation are crucial for accurate assessment. This review describe the sonographic imaging appearance of the most commonly encountered superficial soft-tissue lesions at a tertiary academic pediatric hospital. Features of malignancy and findings warranting further evaluation such as lesion size, heterogeneity, vascularity and depth of involvement are also discussed.

Spermatic cord myxoid liposarcoma presenting as an incarcerated inguinal hernia: report of a case and review of literatures

Incarcerated inguinal hernia is a common surgical indication in the emergency room. Delayed diagnosis can result in ischemic bowel or bowel perforation. The reported incarcerated contents include bowel loop, mesentery, omentum and, rarely, malignant lesions, such as lymphoma, metastatic tumors etc. We report a new case of primary spermatic cord liposarcoma presenting as emergent incarcerated inguinal hernia and review the related literature.