A rare case of Amyand’s hernia with acute appendicitis in a 69-year-old woman: a case report

Abstract

Introduction: Amyand’s hernia is an extremely rare and atypical hernia that is difficult to diagnose clinically characterized by the herniation of the appendix into the inguinal sac. The aim of this report is to describe a case of Amyand’s hernia and highlights the importance of early CT scanning in reaching the exact and early diagnosis of Amyand’s hernia. Case report: We present a rare case of a 69-year-old female patient with a history of intermittent pain in the right inguinal region is see at the emergency surgical clinic. The patient underwent a CT scan of the abdomen and a small pelvis, and an inflamed appendix was diagnosed. The inflamed appendix is herniated in the inguinal hernia sac. Computed tomography was the only modality to diagnose the hernia sac contents preoperatively. Discussion: The reported incidence of Amyand’s hernia is less than 1% of all adult inguinal hernia cases. Acute appendicitis in Amyand’s hernia is even less common, with 0,1% of all cases of acute appendicitis. This hernia may be present without symptoms until the inflammation of the appendix may lead to incarceration, strangulation, necrosis, perforation, or rupture. Early symptoms include tenderness and inguinal swelling. Conclusions: Computer tomography helps make an accurate and timely diagnosis of Amyand’s hernia, thus avoiding complications from delayed surgery.