Sunday, May 1st, 2005.

Surgery Today. May 2005;35(5):421-4. [Link]

Mario Testini¹ , Anna Scattone², Beatrice Di Venere¹, Germana Lissidini¹, Giuseppe Piccinni¹, Silvia Palmisano¹ and abriella Serio²

(1) Department of Applications in Surgery of Innovative Technologies, Section of General Surgery and Vascular Surgery and Clinical Oncology, University of Bari, Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy

(2) Department of Pathology and Genetics, Section of Pathology, University of Bari, Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy

Abstract

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma arising from the inguinal hernia sac is rare. We report the case of a 71-year-old man examined in our emergency department for a bilateral inguinoscrotal hernia, which was recurrent in the right groin, and primary and incarcerated in the left groin. An emergency exploratory operation revealed a firm mass, 10thinspcm in diameter, in the left inguinal hernia sac. The remaining peritoneal surface appeared macroscopically normal. Therefore, we resected the mass and performed a Rutkow hernioplasty. The patient was discharged after a short, uneventful recovery, and was referred to the oncology department for adjuvant therapy. He is now well and asymptomatic with no evidence of ascites, 26 months after his operation. A mesothelioma of the hernial sac peritoneum was the final histological diagnosis.

Glossary

adjuvant therapy

(add-joo-vunt) treatment used in addition to the main treatment. It usually refers to hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, or radiation added after surgery to increase the chances of curing the disease or keeping it in check.

therapy

any of the measures taken to treat a disease. Unproven therapy is any therapy that has not been scientifically tested and approved. Use of an unproven therapy instead of standard (proven) therapy is called alternative therapy. Some alternative therapies have dangerous or even life-threatening side effects. For others, the main danger is that a patient may lose the opportunity to benefit from standard therapy. Complementary therapy, on the other hand, refers to therapies used in addition to standard therapy. Some complementary therapies may help relieve certain symptoms of cancer, relieve side effects of standard cancer therapy, or improve a patient's sense of well-being. The ACS recommends that patients considering use of any alternative or complementary therapy discuss this with their health care team.

oncology

(on-call-o-jee) the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

diagnosis

identifying a disease by its signs or symptoms, and by using imaging procedures and laboratory findings. The earlier a diagnosis of cancer is made, the better the chance for long-term survival.

bilateral

(bi-lat-er-ul) on both sides of the body; for example, bilateral breast cancer is cancer in both breasts.

asymptomatic

(A-simp-toh-matic) not having any symptoms of a disease. Many cancers can develop and grow without producing symptoms, especially in the early stages. Screening tests such as mammograms help to find these early cancers, when the chances for cure are usually highest. (See also screening.)

mesothelioma

a tumor derived from mesothelial tissue, such as the peritoneum (lining the abdomen) or pleura (lining the lungs). More on mesothelioma.

peritoneal

(pair-uh-tuh-nee-al) the serous membrane that lines the cavity of the abdomen. (More on Peritoneal Mesothelioma.)

ascites

(uh-sigh-tees) excess fluid accumulation in the abdominal (peritoneal) cavity.

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