Abdominoinguinal hydrocele presenting as abdominal mass in a male child: A case report

Abstract

Introduction: Abdominoinguinal hydrocele represents an extremely rare variant of abdominoscrotal hydrocele, which in turn is a rare variant of the common scrotal hydrocele. The pathology is characterized by the presence of an inguinal encysted hydrocele with intraabdominal extension, with only a few cases reported in the English literature. Case presentation: A 3.5-year-old male child was referred to our institution with an abdominal mass. On examination, it was possible to palpate a large cystic mass in the left lower abdominal quadrant, with a bulge in the left inguinal region that resembled a tense encysted hydrocele. Abdominal computed tomography revealed the presence of a well-defined cystic lesion in the left iliac fossa, with its lower pole extended into the left inguinal canal, suggesting mesenteric cyst. Exploratory laparotomy findings confirmed the diagnosis of abdominoinguinal hydrocele. Conclusion: Abdominoinguinal hydrocele is an extremely rare variant of the already rare abdominoscrotal hydrocele. A high suspicion of the diagnosis should be considered in patients presented with inguinal swelling resembling encysted hydrocele with an ipsilateral lower abdominal cystic swelling.

Keywords

• Abdominoinguinal
• Abdominoscrotal
• Hydrocele
• Case report