Amyand's hernia with scrotal abscess presenting as acute scrotum

Amyand's hernia is a rare form of inguinal hernia in which an inflamed appendix is incarcerated in a hernial sac. The clinical presentation of Amyand's hernia varies, depending on the extent of inflammation involved in the hernial sac and the presence or absence of a scrotal abscess. If a scrotal abscess is present, this usually indicates that the appendix in the hernial sac is perforated. However, without the availability of computed tomography (CT) scans, the condition is often preoperatively misdiagnosed as a strangulated inguinal hernia. We describe a rare case of a 64-year-old man who presented at our emergency room complaining of scrotal swelling and pain. Diagnosis of Amyand's hernia with a scrotal abscess was confirmed preoperatively by CT scan. Copyright (C) 2012 Elsevier Taiwan LLC and the Chinese Medical Association. All rights reserved.