Incarcerated Femoral Hernia Including a Gangrenous Appendix

Jo, Tai Woong; Chang, Jeong Hwan

Abstract

Femoral hernias account for up to 4% of all hernias that occur in the inguinal region. The hernial sac usually contains the greater omentum, small intestine, large intestine and preperitoneal fat, but rarely, in only 0.8% of the all cases, it also contains the appendix. Femoral, inguinal and incisional hernias, combined with appendicitis, occur in only 0.13% of cases. Thus, the incidence of appendicitis associated with a femoral hernia would be expected to be very rare. Herein, a case of an incarcerated femoral hernia, including a gangrenous appendix, is reported. An 81-year-old female was admitted with a protruding mass in the right inguinal area of 2 days duration. On inspection, a 4x3 cm sized erythematous bulging mass was noted. On palpation, the mass was tender and fixed in nature. There were no signs of peritoneal irritation or other palpable masses in the whole abdomen. Under the impression of a femoral hernia, a manual reduction was attempted, but to no avail. An immotile edematous intestine was noted on ultrasonography, and fluid retention with decreased blood circulation was noted in the intestine, suggestive of incarceration. An emergency operation was performed, with an incision made through the right groin region, where an incarcerated femoral hernia, including a gangrenous appendix, was found. An appendectomy and McVay repair were performed. The patient was discharged after 5 days, without any complications.