Emergency presentation of a dermoid cyst of the groin: a diagnostic confounder on the acute surgical take

Abstract

Tender groin lumps are common emergency surgical presentations. Of these, an inguinal hernia is the most common abnormality. Herniae can become incarcerated or obstructed, therefore patients presenting with a short history of a tender groin lump should be referred for surgical assessment urgently. In the event of a diagnosis of an incarcerated or obstructed hernia, prompt operative exploration and repair is mandated. We present a case of an emergency presentation of a lump in the groin, with the history and examination consistent with an incarcerated inguinal hernia. However, intra-operative findings and subsequent pathological analysis revealed that the lump was in fact a dermoid cyst of the inguinal canal. The location of this pathological diagnosis, in combination with the acute presentation, render this case almost unique, as dermoid cysts are typically slow growing benign lesions which do not present acutely.

More information

Identifiers

Catalogue record

Export record

Altmetrics