Presentation
Right inguinal mass.
Patient Data
There is a right inguinal canal, well defined, thin walled cystic mass measuring, 4.6 x 2.2 x 2.1 cm. No peritoneal communication with the cystic mass is demonstrated. No changed with the Valsalva maneuver or probe compression.
No left inguinal lesion demonstrated. Urinary bladder is normal. Uterus and both ovaries are normal.
Case Discussion
Hydrocele of the canal of Nuck is a very rare condition in females, although it is more typically seen in males as a result of the patent processus vaginalis, which normally closes during development but occasionally remains open. In females, the canal of Nuck is the equivalent of the processus vaginalis, a small embryonic remnant that is normally obliterated throughout fetal development but can sometimes persist. When this canal remains open, it might cause a hydrocele, which is a fluid-filled sac in the inguinal canal.