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Case Report

Large dermoid cyst of the spermatic cord presenting as an incarcerated hernia: a rare presentation and literature review

N. S. Salemis¹, G. Karagkiouzis¹, D. Sambaziotis² and E. Tsiambas³

(1)	2nd Department of Surgery, Army General Hospital, 19 Taxiarhon Str, 19014 Kapandriti, Athens, Greece

(2)	Department of Pathology, Army General Hospital, Athens, Greece

(3)	Department of Pathology Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Received: 26 April 2009 Accepted: 12 July 2009 Published online: 11 August 2009

Abstract

Dermoid cyst of the spermatic cord is a very rare clinical entity with only a few cases reported in the literature so far. We herein describe an extremely rare case of a large dermoid cyst of the spermatic cord measuring 8.5 × 5 × 5 cm in a young patient who presented with clinical manifestations of an incarcerated inguinal hernia. After the cyst excision, a diffuse direct hernia became apparent and a Lichtenstein polypropylene mesh repair was performed. Direct hernia was likely the result of chronic pressure on the inguinal floor maintained by the large cyst. We conclude that although very rare, dermoid cyst of the spermatic cord should be considered as a part of the differential diagnosis in patients presenting with an irreducible inguinal mass of a long course.

Keywords Spermatic cord - Dermoid cyst - Inguinal canal - Hernia - Inguinal mass - Incarceration

N. S. Salemis
Email: nikos_salemis@hotmail.com

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