De Garengeot Hernia: Case Report and Review of the Literature of a Rare Femoral Hernia

Abstract

De Garengeot hernia is a rare femoral hernia defined as the presence of the appendix within the femoral hernia sac. The incidence of appendicitis in this type of hernia is a rare condition that accounts for 0.08–0.13% of all De Garengeot hernias. We describe the case of a 61-year-old woman that presented at the emergency department with a tender mass (diameter 10 × 8 cm) in the right groin region for 5 days associated with pain in lower right abdomen and accompanied by fever (38 °C). Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen revealed the presence of a complex fluid collection with small foci of air in the right inguinal region, measuring 9 × 7 × 10 cm in the 3 orthogonal dimensions and a blind ending tubular structure extending from the caecal base into the groin mass through a narrowed neck defect, medial to the common femoral vessels. The CT scan demonstrated the suspected diagnosis of De Garengeot hernia complicated by acute appendicitis. The intra-operative findings confirmed the diagnosis. The patient was successfully managed operatively. The surgical strategy took into account the need to significantly reduce the diffusion of the infection inside the abdominal cavity. The patient was discharged on the fifth postoperative day without peri-/postoperative complications.