ABSTRACT
Amyand's hernia is a rare condition, in which the appendix is found in the inguinal hernia sac. Many patients remain asymptomatic and this pathological condition is most commonly diagnosed intraoperatively. We report a case of a 66-year-old male who was admitted to the hospital for an inguinal hernia repair and the presence of the appendix in the inguinal hernia sac was discovered intraoperatively. We performed a reduction of the appendix in the abdominal cavity and a hernia repair with a mesh and a plug. There are few studies in literature about the appropriate method of treatment and, because of that, the therapeutic approach remains controversial. Therefore, we also conducted a review of the literature in order to obtain some conclusions regarding the management of Amyand's hernia.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Ectopic liver tissue is a rare entity, reported to occur in several intra-, retro- and extra- peritoneal sites, including the gallbladder. It is usually detected incidentally, during laparoscopy, laparotomy, or autopsy. Several possible mechanisms may explain the development of liver ectopia. Although ectopic liver tissue is usually asymptomatic, it behaves like orthotopic liver, developing the same pathologic conditions. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of a 54-year-old woman who was found to have a nodule attached to the gallbladder wall without any connection with the main liver, during an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstone disease. The nodule was removed with the gallbladder and identified histologically as normal ectopic liver tissue. CONCLUSION: It would seem sensible to resect the ectopic tissue if encountered during cholecystectomy for gallstones. Laparoscopic management of ectopic liver can be feasible.
