Mesothelial cyst of the round ligament of the uterus A case report of a rare condition.

BACKGROUND

Differential diagnosis of inguinal mass must include, especially in female patients, a wide variety of lesions among which our analysis will focus on mesothelial cyst of the round ligament of the uterus. A rare developmental lesion often misdiagnosed as hernias and accidentally detected during surgical exploration of the groin region.

CASE REPORT: Of a left inguinal mass causing local discomfort and progressive worsening of local pain. A pre-operative diagnosis of left symptomatic femoral hernia was made and the patient consented to surgical treatment. The surgical exploration of the inguinal and femoral canals revealed a femoral hernia associated to a clear fluid cystic lesion of around 2 cm arising from the round ligament. Histopathology demonstrated a mesothelial cyst of the round ligament

CONCLUSIONS

Mesothelial cysts of the round ligament of the uterus must be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of groin swelling in female patients and a greater effort is needed in order to reach a preoperative diagnosis and prevent an over treatment. Key words: Mesothelial cyst, Preoperative diagnosis, Uterus.