Cyst of the canal of nuck in pediatric patients.

BACKGROUND

Cyst of the canal of Nuck is a rare cause of inguinal swelling in female infants and children.

AIM

The purpose of this study is to discuss the clinical, radiological, and histopathological findings, differential diagnosis, and surgical treatment of this disease in the light of our experience.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study was conducted in six children who were operated on with cyst of the canal of Nuck at the pediatric surgery clinic in July 1998-March 2013. All information was collected from patient's files and computer records retrospectively.

RESULTS

Patients were between the ages of 1 and 12 years. Size of the cysts has varied between 23 mm and 55.2 mm. In all cases, cyst was on the right side. In physical examination while five cases had palpable, well-circumscribed, mobile and painless mass, in one case the mass was immobile. In one patient, the mass was reducible; in the other 5 patients the mass was non-reducible. First patient was operated immediately with the early diagnosis of incarcerated inguinal hernia, the second one was operated under elective conditions with early diagnosis of inguinal hernia and it was diagnosed during operation, and in the last 4 patients pre-operative true diagnosis was possible.

CONCLUSIONS

As clinical findings of the cyst of the canal of Nuck are variable, pre-operative true diagnosis can only be related to increasing experience.