The cyst of Nuck: clinical case and review of the literature

The canal of Nuck consists in an evagination of parietal peritoneum through the inguinal canal, which usually obliterates in the eighth month of embryonic development. When this doesn't occur, the channel can allow the passage of liquid or abdominal viscera, forming a cyst or a hernia, respectively. This is more frequent in childhood; few cases are described in adult women. In this paper we report a case of a cyst of the canal of Nuck in a 37-year old female. The diagnosis was made by physical examination and ultrasound, and was confirmed by histology after surgery. In conclusion, the cyst of the canal of Nuck should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of a groin lump in female patients.