Sonographic appearance of canal of Nuck hydrocele

Abstract

We present a case of a relatively uncommon entity in a 17-year-old girl who presented to the emergency department with right inguinal pain and discomfort. On sonography, she was thought to have a hydrocele of a patent processus vaginalis, although differentials could not be excluded. The hydrocele was subsequently confirmed at surgery. Because this is an uncommonly reported condition, a high index of suspicion must be maintained in the appropriate clinical setting. We present various sonographic appearances and techniques that have been proposed in the literature. © Springer-Verlag 2007