Isolated unilateral duplication of vas deferens, a surgical enigma: a case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Duplication of vas deferens is a very rare congenital anomaly with only a few cases reported in the literature. Injury to vas deferens is a recognized complication during hernia surgery and the possibilities of injury may increase with lack of awareness of this anomaly. CASE REPORT: A-31-year old gentleman with unilateral duplication of vas deferens that was diagnosed during right sided open hernia surgery is reported. The patient had undergone surgery for left inguinal hernia one year previously at the same center and no such anomaly was detected. During intra-operative examination of scrotum, the testes and epididymis were found to be normal. Patient had an uneventful recovery from hernia surgery. CONCLUSION: Unilateral duplication of vas deferens is rare. The identification of this anomaly is essential in order to minimize the incidence of injury to vas during hernia surgery. This case reinforces the importance of routine identification of vas deferens and awareness about this anomaly during inguinal hernia surgery.