Clinics in diagnostic imaging (183)

Hydrocoele of the canal of Nuck is a rare condition in adult women caused by a failure of complete obliteration of the canal of Nuck. It may be likened to a patent processus vaginalis in men. In most cases, the diagnosis is made during surgery as it is often mistaken for an inguinal hernia. We report a case where the diagnosis of this condition was made preoperatively on imaging. The salient anatomy, clinical features, radiological images and surgical management are discussed and the medical literature reviewed.

Hydrocele of the Canal of Nuck: Sonographic and CT Appearances

The Canal of Nuck is the portion of the processus vaginalis within the inguinal canal in women. A hydrocele of the Canal of Nuck is equivalent to an encysted hydrocele of the spermatic cord in men. Little about this rare condition in the adult female patient has been reported in the literature. In this paper, we report on a case of hydrocele of the Canal of Nuck in a 30-year-old female. The diagnosis was made based on sonography and CT, and then confirmed during surgery. Although rare, a hydrocele of the Canal of Nuck must be included in the differential diagnosis of a groin lump in female patients.

Two cases of female hydrocele of the canal of nuck / 소아과

The processus vaginalis within the inguinal canal forms the canal of Nuck, which is a homolog of the processus vaginalis in women. Incomplete obliteration of the processus vaginalis causes indirect inguinal hernia or hydrocele of the canal of Nuck, a very rare condition in women. Here, we report 2 cases of hydrocele of the canal of Nuck that were diagnosed with ultrasonography in both cases and magnetic resonance imaging in 1 case to confirm the sonographic diagnosis. High ligation and hydrocelectomy were conducted in both patients. In 1 patient, 14 months later, the occurrence of contralateral inguinal hernia was suspected, but did not require surgery. The other patient had a history of surgery for left inguinal hernia 11 months before the occurrence of right hydrocele of the canal of Nuck. In both cases, the occurrence of an inguinal hernia on the contralateral side was noted.

Hydrocele of the Canal of Nuck

In females, a small evagination of parietal peritoneum accompanies the round ligament through the inguinal ring into the inguinal canal and is called the canal of Nuck; it is homologous to the process vaginalis in males. If it fails to undergo complete obliteration, an indirect inguinal hernia or a hydrocele of the canal of Nuck can occur. We report three cases of this rare developmental disorder, discuss the CT findings and its use in the diagnosis of a hydrocele of the canal of Nuck.