Strangulated femoral hernia with appendicitis: A rare case of De Garengeot's hernia

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: De Garengeot hernia is a rare case of a femoral hernia. It occurs when a femoral hernia contains a vermiform appendix that may be inflamed and sometimes necrotic, and this requires emergency surgery. However, the hernia is usually discovered by chance in the operating theater, which poses an additional challenge for surgeons. CASE PRESENTATION: A 64-year-old man presented with a 1-week history of a painful right groin lump. The lump is irreducible and painful on exert a week ago. Ultrasound imaging showed a 1.5 × 2 cm loculated turbid liquid collection containing an edematous intestinal loop measuring 8 mm in diameter that was suspected to be the vermiform appendix. Therefore, appendectomy was performed through the hernia sac. After that, the hernia was repaired using the McVay technique and 2.0 nylon sutures. One day after the operation, the patient was discharged, and he returned to the clinic after 10 days without any complications. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: The patient has a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is a risk factor for a hernia. He had to live with the right femoral hernia for ten years until it became painful and irreversible. Ultrasound revealed what appears to be an appendix. To avoid possible consequences of complicated appendicitis and strangulated hernia, emergency surgery was the appropriate choice for our patient case. CONCLUSION: The presence of an appendix in the femoral hernia poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to surgeons, due to the atypical clinical picture and the lack of efficacy of radiographic methods in diagnosing the condition.