title: Incarcerated ovarian herniation of the canal of Nuck in a female infant: Ultrasonographic findings and review of literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inguinal hernia with containing the ovary presenting as a palpable groin mass is an uncommon congenital condition, and it may cause complications such as strangulation, torsion, and infertility. We present a case of ovarian herniation into inguinal canal with sonographic findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 15-day-old infant girl visited our hospital with the complaints of palpable mass in the right groin. On physical examination, a palpable non-movable mass was found in the right inguinal region, and it was irreducible. During sonographic examination, a well-circumscribed solid mass containing small cysts was found. Then, oophorectomy with high inguinal ligation was performed, and the patient was doing well after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The canal of Nuck is an abnormal patent pouch of the parietal peritoneum extending to the round ligament of the uterus into the labia majora through the inguinal ring. When this canal obliterates incompletely, inguinal herniation of ovary or hydrocele occur in the female children. In the clinical practice, ovarian herniation should be differentiated from a hernia containing intestine, fat, fluid, or lymph nodes. Therefore, a careful sonographic evaluation is mandatory to make an accurate diagnosis in female infants with palpable inguinal mass.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrasound (US) with color Doppler US can be helpful to the diagnosis of ovarian herniation through the canal of Nuck and hernia-related complications.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, 20 Geumo-ro, Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, 11 Samjeongja-ro, Seongsan-gu, Changwon 51472, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Baek
keywords: Canal of Nuck; Inguinal hernia; Ovary; Ultrasound